>  6. Martek announcement
>  7. OB U/S & LD

>Date:    Wed, 27 Dec 1995 16:01:31 -0800
>From:    Judy Holtzer Knopf <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Martek announcement
>
>On December 12 on our cable's Discovery channel, the Martek Co.
>(produces Cow and Gate Formula?) announced that it has started
>extracting from seaweed arachidonic acid and DHA(?) - fatty acids
>present in human milk but missing in bovine stuff - and adding it
>to their formula. Oh yes, they also announced that they were of
>course increasing the price of formula because of this nifty and
>important new addition. Is this pathetic or chutzpa? Sigh. Judy
>Knopf in Beer Sheva, Israel
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date:    Wed, 27 Dec 1995 16:04:29 -0800
>From:    Judy Holtzer Knopf <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: OB U/S & LD
>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Re: OB U/S & LD
>
>Hi, all. Some time ago, Marie Davis asked something about
>obstetric ultrasound and learning disabilities. Because of my
>childbirth-activist big mouth, I got in my possession (would
>rather not say how) a copy of a proposal by a group in a
>Scandinavian country with this connection as its working
>hypothesis. This was 7-8 years ago, and I don't know what
>actually happened. There must be some evidence of a connection
>between the two, because the FDA recommends no U/S in the first
>trimester unless there is a sound medical reason. I have also
>seen some WHO documents of meetings where the concensus seems to
>be that obstetric U/S is recommended to be limited to valid
>medical reasons. Add to this a study that seemed to show that OB
>U/S could lead to intrauterine growth retardation (and
>ironically, *screening for* IUGR is the supposed "medical reason"
>for 2 U/S exams done routinely in Israel!). The reasoning for a
>connection with LDs probably is that the fetal brain develops
>most rapidly in the 1st 20 weeks of gestation. I have a very
>unprofessional gut feeling that exposure to U/S in utero may lead
>to learning disabilities, which may be "witnessed" for the first
>time by difficulty in learning how to breastfeed. I have
>suspected this in a few clients of mine, but it is impossible to
>prove.....unless some whiz kid out there has some bright idea....
>My LD daughter was not exposed to U/S in utero. She had to be
>resuscitated at birth, Apgar of 6/8, was blue for 24+ hrs because
>of shot of Demerol I was given 1.5 hours before delivery (at least, this
>is my theory). Obviously, analgesia during labor is one of my major buttons.
>Happy New Year everyone! Judy Knopf in Beer Sheva, Israel
>
Shalom, Judy,

My son (now 7) had repeated ultrasounds from 4 mo. through 9 months and an
X-ray in the 9th month due to his breech presentation and my wife's desire for a
vaginal delivery (as it turned out, his head was larger than her intrapelvic
dia. so
he was selivered C-sect. anyway).  He had difficulty learning to nurse,
requiring
a silicone nipple shield for about a week before he could latch on properly by
himself.  After that, he had no difficulty, and nursed until his 4th year.
He has no
current evidence of learning disability, functioning well ahead of his class
in music,
reading, math., and science.

I am surprised you were given a shot of demerol.  In the states, it gave way to
spinal anesthesia some 30 years ago.  Was there a medical reason why you
couldn't be given an epidural or spinal?

On the subject of Martek, at least they're starting to recognize that
formula can't
compete with human milk for human nutrition.  If they think two of the missing
fatty acids will make a difference, however, it's not chutzpa, but michigos!
 Even if
they duplicated the nutritive components, which they're still a long way
from, they
wouldn't have the immunological helpers the mother provides in her colostrum
and milk.

L'hitra'ot

Jonathan