I somehow managed to miss the July 30th article mentioned in the lte, wish I hadn't because it sounds like something I would find interesting, may try to dig it up and read it later today.

It seems logical to assume that both pre and post birth trauma could be to some degree a factor in later physical and psychological development, but here's hoping it never gets twisted into the "pinched umbilical cord defense" for committing mass murder.

what a crock.

Yeah, they used forceps on me when I was born and my Dad said it looked like I had gone 12 rounds with Joe Lewis (a very famous boxer for you kids) and to this day, I still don't like being hit by professional boxers... go figure

I once had someone tell me I shouldn't see a particular movie during my pregnancy because my baby would then be "marked" (whatever that means!) I saw the movie and my "baby" is now 24 and living a perfectly normal life (despite the fact that the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck...no respiratory problems either). This same woman excused her son's abusive behavior by proclaiming he had been "marked" during her preganancy by her father's death. Therefore,I can't discount janherman's concern about the possibility of the umbilical cord defense.

Kel,

I was ripped from the warm comfort of my mother's womb and forced into a cold world where my first human contact was a slap on my butt. Next thing I know, they were slicing off my umbilical cord. Just a few days later, a nurse chopped off a portion of my wee-wee.

That must be why I'm cold-natured, afraid of women wearing white shoes, and don't like men slapping me on the butt.

Nitpicker,

You have my complete sympathy for the effect your past trauma has on your current life.

I know the feeling, ever since my honeymoon I've had an intense fear of handcuffs and Black & Decker power tools.

The support group meets on Thursdays.

I hope it ain't true, because if it is, health will get a lot worse simply because of selective pressures. The kids and moms who used to die in childbirth now survive, putting the lousy genes back in the pool. That's good for those involved--including my own wife and (premature) child--but the long-term genetic effects can't be good.

I wonder if the good Dr. is a Church of Scientology member? This plays right into their silent birth philosophy.

I understand the possible connection between a forceps delivery and the child's later migraines, or other significant birth events and later problems. But isolation caused by a planned c-section? That's where you lose me, Dr. Lapham.

Research is not definitive; from my perspective, it is suggestive. I'd like to see the research and also the article. The connections sound a little loose to me and even if one can make an argument for such correlations , how will we know whether "anyone of these suggestive correlations" has anything to do with why any given person has headaches, insomnia, hyperactivity and so forth? I think that research has alot to teach us but let's be careful that we don't over step the limitations that are present in all research efforts. As a Freudian counselor this causes me some problems because now I can't blame my mother for all my problems. And I won't know how much of my bio-psycho-social ills are due to environmental influences: wrapped umbilical cord, forceps, pitocin and other naturally occuring hazards.

My fear is that all Obstetricians will leave the country.