Pregnant Women With Health Problems Need Care, Not Incarceration

Throwing pregnant women in jail or involuntarily committing them to mental health facilities for alcohol and drug abuse problems is ineffective and counterproductive, according to a new committee opinion released today by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College). Physicians should instead work with state legislators to retract punitive mandatory reporting laws and replace them with evidence-based strategies outside the legal system to help pregnant women with addictions.



Currently, fifteen states consider substance abuse during pregnancy to be child abuse under civil child-abuse statutes, and three states consider it grounds for involuntary commitment to a mental health or substance abuse treatment facility. States vary widely in what they consider drug abuse during pregnancy. Some states consider alcohol use by pregnant women to be child neglect.



"Although states with mandatory reporting requirements and criminalization statutes may have been well intentioned, these laws have not reduced the incidence of alcohol and drug abuse among pregnant women," said Maureen G. Phipps, MD, chair of The College's Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women. "Unfortunately, the effect of these laws is that many pregnant women who need help avoid prenatal care altogether and may have worse outcomes as a result."



According to The College, pregnant women who seek health care often risk being jailed or involuntarily committed, losing custody of their children, or losing their housing if they are found to be using drugs. "Addiction is a biological and behavioral disorder that needs medical and behavioral treatment in order to improve outcomes for both mothers and their children," said Dr. Phipps



Studies have shown that getting prenatal care significantly reduces the negative effects of substance abuse during pregnancy, including decreased risks of low birth weight and premature birth. What is needed, according to The College, is the development of safe, affordable, and effective comprehensive alcohol and drug treatment services for all women, especially pregnant women, and their families.



Committee Opinion #473, "Substance Abuse Reporting in Pregnancy," is published in the January 2011 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.



Source:

American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Olivia Newton-John Hits All The Right Notes In The New Issue Of Pause(R)

"Who would have thought that I could be a role model for women who are in menopause!" says Olivia Newton-John who is profiled in the Fall/Winter issue of pause® magazine. "I think it's really wonderful that women are talking more openly about menopause these days. After all, it's part of our normal transition in life, and it's not something to panic about."


In "Still Hitting All the Right Notes", Grammy Award-winning singer Newton-John touches on her battle with breast cancer and emphasizes how important it is for women to be proactive about their own health. As a breast cancer survivor, she describes how she stays healthy through diet and exercise and keeps busy with her breast cancer fundraising efforts, acting, and singing.


"In this issue, we're aiming the spotlight on breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women," says Isaac Schiff, MD, chair of the pause® Medical Advisory Board and chief of the Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology Service at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Joe Meigs Professor of Gynecology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "We've devoted a special section on the cancer that women fear the most, with articles that help clarify the current recommendations on breast cancer screening, offer cancer prevention tips, and explain mammogram test results." In addition to the profile on Olivia Newton-John, these articles include:


- Breast Cancer: The Mammogram Controversy

- What Your Mammogram Results Really Mean

- Self Defense for Healthy Breasts

- Reconstructing a Masterpiece

- Eat Your Way to Good Health


The 72-page magazine includes informative articles aimed at the health issues most important to women as they approach menopause, from dealing with hot flashes and losing weight to the value of incorporating exercise into daily life. Other articles focus on the often misunderstood disorder known as fibromyalgia, incontinence, and hysterectomy. Women also can take a quick "Menopause Quiz" to see if they're going through the proverbial 'change of life.'


pause® is a free digital magazine published biannually by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for women in all stages of the menopausal transition and is available online here. In addition to the latest issue of the magazine, the pause® website offers a wealth of easy-to-understand information about menopause and other important women's health issues, including a weekly "Ask the Doctor", personal stories from real women on how they handle menopause symptoms, and a monthly poll. Women can also sign up for Managing Menopause, a free e-newsletter on perimenopause- and menopause-related health issues.


The winner of numerous national design and editorial awards, the pause® website received four awards in 2010, including the 2010 EXCEL Award for Website Design Excellence; 2010 APEX Award for New Web and Intranet Sites; 2010 Communicator Award-Silver Award of Distinction; and the 2010 Web Health Award-Merit Award.


Source:

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Some Black Women With Advanced Breast Cancer Opt Against Treatment, Study Finds

A new study has found that some black women with advanced breast cancer declined treatment with chemotherapy or radiation, though researchers did not know the reason why so many of the women opted against treatment, HealthDay/Las Vegas NOW reports. For the study, researchers examined records for 107 women with cases of advanced breast cancer that were reported at one inner-city hospital between 2000 and 2006. Eighty-seven percent of the women were black, and 29% of them had breast cancer tumors that did not respond well to new, targeted treatments. Of all women, 20.5% declined chemotherapy and 26.3% opted against radiation.

Lead researcher Monica Rizzo, an assistant professor of surgery at the Division of Surgical Oncology at the Emory University School of Medicine, said the reason why the women declined treatment is not clear, adding, "We looked at marital status, as well as religious background, of those women, and unfortunately, we were not able to find any clear identifier." Researchers speculated that fear of the medical system, poverty and cultural differences might play a role.

Rizzo's group has started a community outreach program through which a nurse practitioner and social worker follow up with breast cancer patients (Reinberg, HealthDay/Las Vegas NOW, 5/22).

An abstract of the study is available online.


Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Public Views Sought On Gynaecological Cancer Review, Somerset, England

The views of patients, families and carers in Somerset are being sought as part of a cross county review of a specialist women's cancer service.


A review is being co-ordinated by NHS Bath and North East Somerset on behalf of Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bath and North East Somerset. It aims to identify the best way to treat women with rare gynaecological cancers in the future.


The review aims to identify the best way to treat women with rare gynaecological cancer - locally where possible and in specialist centres where necessary.


People with experience of gynaecological cancer services either as a patient, carer or family member are being asked their views on the following key areas:


- What is most important to patients and carers in receiving a quality service?

- Do you have any concerns about the service now?

- What do you think would improve the patient and carer experience?

- What should we be aiming for in developing our local gynaecological cancer services?


To find out more visit the NHS Bath and North East Somerset web site at: banes-pct.nhs

NHS Bath and North East Somerset