A Week in the News - 31st May 2013

Friday 31st of May 2013 | Category: Pregnancy News | Written by: James Brighton

Thankfully this week has seen a far calmer news situation. With the terrible events that struck Woolwich last week was a relief, although the headlines were still dominated by the aftermath. The suspects in the crime have been arrested and one of them has already been charged, hopefully justice is served on both men in the long run. Aside from that the week has been calm news-wise, with most of the other news being dominated by the first gay couple in France to marry.

We've also seen more interesting stories develop in the world of pregnancy and babies, and it's time to take a look at the stories which have been brought to our attention.

China

Clearly one of the biggest stories this week was that of a baby rescued from a drainpipe as reported on the BBC. This will be shocking to many parents across the globe, and whilst the parent says it was done by 'accident' it does raise many issues. Unfortunately with the policies that China has adopted stories like this are all too common, although they usually go unreported. For many years Chinese people have only been able to raise one child, and usually this means baby girls are 'unwanted'. This is a sad story, and hopefully pressure from the rest of the world can change attitudes, but with an ever rising population, China has many issues to sort out.

Breast milk, Painless Births and Spoilt Children

Something that hit the news this week which sparked some debate, and featured in the The Independent was Myleene Klass and her use of breast milk for things other than feeding her baby which shocked some people. Personally I'm not sure how I feel about this, it is a very taboo area, but then again people are happy to drink the breast milk of a cow! Have you got any views on Myleene's story?

The Daily Mail has done its best to rile mothers across the country again this week as it featured a story with women who claimed giving birth didn't hurt - that's absolutely fine, perhaps it didn't for them, but I'm sure others would have far different experiences. It's OK for people to discuss their experiences, in fact it's probably welcome in most cases, but being preached to by women who claim it's all about 'positive thinking' probably isn't the best way to go about it. The Mail also published an article on grandparents spoiling their grandchildren and the effect it has on them once they return home. I'm sure a lot of parents can relate to this, whilsts others will think it's a load of rubbish - bet let's let Grandparents be Grandparents!

Molar Pregnancy, Pre-Eclampsia and Friends

The Guardian featured a story this week in relation to one woman's battle with a molar pregnancy. From the article by Claire Daly clearly shows the battle she experienced after finding out she had a molar pregnancy. Whilst these pregnancies do not result in a baby, the emotional struggles that she faced reveal to us the pain and suffering that women go through when they suffer a loss, even if it is wholly accepted before it happens.

A story in the Mail will also bring hope, and relief, to many families across the world. Doctors believe they may have found a cure to pre-eclampsia as they have discovered a lack of hydrogen sulfide could be the cause. This will be a relief to women who have suffered with this condition as it could simply be the case that a pill is taken to alleviate any potential issues. Hopefully these findings lead to an effective solution and pre-eclampsia cases can be dramatically reduced. The Independent also brought to our attention the ever expanding list of friends you gain once you become a mother. Now this is something I definitely can't speak of with any experience, but the Indy seem to be certain that if you give birth you are going to get more friends. That's a good thing, right?

MMR 'Timebomb' and Infant Amnesia

I'll leave you this week with two more stories from the Mail, one which is scaremongering to the extreme, the other could leave you questioning the Mail again! Firstly the story that babies born to parents without the MMR vaccine could be born deaf or blind, now this seems rather ridiculous - I'm pretty sure babies weren't all born deaf of blind before the MMR vaccine existed. That being said it is worth checking whether you are up to date with all your vaccinations, remember that the MMR story from the end of the 1990s was completely dispelled. The other story from the Mail focuses on how children may not be able to help themselves even if they've been told off before. Whilst this may be true in some cases, we all know that children can definitely tell things apart at a young age - perhaps it is selective memory instead?

I'll be back next week with another round up of the news, and as always if you see anything that catches your eye let us know. Have a great week!