Attracting Abundance

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The Law

Belief - XXXVIII

The modern day lifestyle, with its widespread use of antibiotics, pesticides, addictions etc is a huge source of environmental stress to the child since its conception. On top of that there are two more issues which have assumed virulent proportions which affect the child - the caesarean mode of delivery (C-section) and huge dependence on artificial baby food.

The C-section delivery has been associated with a greater risk for Type I diabetes, obesity, celiac disease, asthama and weakening of immune system. Research work (Almegren et al, 2014, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology) has revealed that in almost 350 DNA regions, including genes controlling immune defense, epigenetic differences existed between children delivered normally and by C-section. During normal delivery, when the baby passes through the vagina of the mother, it picks up some important microbes which protect the child from allergens in the first two years of the baby's life.

Note: According to an analysis published in Journal of the American Medical Association covering 194 countries, C-section rate of 15-19% is considered to be ideal for both mother and the child. In US C-section has risen from 5% in 1970 to 20% in 1996 and to 33% in 2010. This analysis reveals that when C-section goes beyond 19%, benefits for mother and child plateau. the conclusion is that the C-sections are being executed more than medically necessary.

The rate of C-section in China is the highest at 46% (almost one in two deliveries) and one in five in India. In India, shockingly, more than 60% of the hospitals studied where these C-sections took place did for financial gains and not because it was required. In India a C-section costs INR 20,000 - 30,000 more than a normal delivery. A study carried out in 15 Indian states in 2014-15 reveals that C-section surgeries are 3 times more in private hospitals than the government-run hospitals. In percentages the figures are 10% in government hospitals and 31% in private hospitals. (Livemint)

A study of 137 countries in 2007-8 revealed that in 54 countries C-section was below 10%, in 14 countries between 10% and 15%, and in 69 countries C-section was above 15%. These 69 countries spent US$ 2.3 billion on C-section with US topping at US$ 687 million followed by China at US$327 million and Brazil at US$227 million.

There are a variety of reasons for spurt in C-sections. Experts assign part of the blame to technological advancements also. Specifically they point to the continuous fetal monitoring, which tracks a baby's vital statistics once a pregnant woman enters a hospital. The difficulty with this is that though this appears to be helpful, in fact it is not as there hasn't been adequate research on how to interpret the readings. If there is a blip in reading - if a baby's heart rate goes up or down - that can trigger a C-section even if it is not clear that the baby is in true distress. Doctors watching the monitor are seeing a pattern that is not reassuring. But if one watch any kind of pattern for a stretch of time , one will find something that is not reassuring. Some malpractice insurers will actually reduce the doctor's rate if the doctor determines to read those fetal monitoring scans properly. 

Different obstetricians have different scales of judgement on how long a woman should push before she gets a C-section, and how long after her water breaks should she be permitted to try for a vaginal birth. It is an arbitrary cut-off that varies from hospital to hospital. 

Doctors aren't solely at fault. As mentioned earlier there are financial incentives to be had by the hospitals for C-sections.

Some women choose C-section for more control and less delivery pains. Women in US (and in private hospitals in India) can elect to have a C-section. It gives them more control on childbirth than waiting to go in to labor manually. The medical profession should decide whether elective C-section should be permitted. 

Another threat to the health of the baby, in short and long term, is due to the shift away from breast feeding. No artificial baby food has been till date concocted which can hold a candle to  mother's milk. The immunoglobin A antibodies found in mother's milk is specific to the breast milk. These antibodies protect the child till its immune system develops and becomes functional. certain bacteria present in the mother's milk also assists in the digestion in the child.

The size of the brain of the brain doubles in the first year of life and reaches 80% of the proportion of an adult brain by the end of the second year. Now that requires lots of energy. Prenatally mother provides the nutrients to the fetus through her placenta. After birth, the mother's milk provides the necessary nutrients and lipids.

The baby sleeping in a separate crib is another practice I discourage. The baby recognizes its mother since its days inside the womb. It recognizes her body smell, her voice. After birth, the baby feels secure when close to mother. This sense of security is very essential for the baby. 

While writing this post, I cam across a short video clip on Facebook which I have dared to attach here. See the expression on the baby's face to understand what I am trying to say.

Well friends, this concludes my post in this series. I believe that there is enough scientific evidence that we are not fully genetically determined, as believed earlier. Rather we are what we believe we are. Our perceptions generate the signals that determines us - biologically and psychologically. Do not let the perception of genetic determination hijack the quality of your life.

I will be starting my next series of posts on the generic term - happiness, the second pillar for creating and attracting abundance. We will take a deeper look in to the term happiness and come up with easy actionable points. In the process we will also be doing away with lot of myths that are associated with happiness. I will be back within seven days.

Namaste

Prabir