NEWS: Having Babies is Getting Riskier

freshprncebelair said:

Our system is the best in the world for people who can afford it. For the others, not so much.

freshprncebelair said:
Our system is the best in the world for people who can afford it. For the others, not so much.

Archaneus said:

Actually, you might think that's true, but it's not. Even for the people who can afford it, and I am one of those privileged ones who has health insurance, the system isn't that great. Go to to pretty much anywhere in Western Europe and you'll see. People think that capitalism creates quality but in this case, socialism seems to be far and ahead when it comes to health care.

Leshia said:

totaly agree

thefreak said:
No offense, but since when is this wholly an abortion issue?

-TM

Archaneus said:

Actually, you might think that's true, but it's not. Even for the people who can afford it, and I am one of those privileged ones who has health insurance, the system isn't that great. Go to to pretty much anywhere in Western Europe and you'll see. People think that capitalism creates quality but in this case, socialism seems to be far and ahead when it comes to health care.

KingHELL said:

???

DhD_No_Pants said:

It says in the OP that one reason could be obesity on the part of the mother. The rising obesity rates in the U.S. can and do play a role in the overall health of both mother and baby. Gestational diabetes, hypertension, increase in the risk of blood clots, and more of a need for C-sections are just a few examples of risks that are increased by being obese or even overweight and become pregnant.

KingHELL said:

And yet, US life expectancy rates continue to rise.

Americans are living longer than ever, but not as long as people in 41 other countries.
For decades, the United States has been slipping in international rankings of life expectancy, as other countries improve health care, nutrition and lifestyles.
Countries that surpass the U.S. include Japan and most of Europe, as well as Jordan and the Cayman Islands.

That life expectancy ranks 42nd, down from 11th two decades earlier, according to international numbers provided by the Census Bureau and domestic numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Researchers said several factors have contributed to the United States falling behind other industrialized nations.
A major one is that 45 million Americans lack health insurance, while Canada and many European countries have universal health care, they say.
But, "It's not as simple as saying we don't have national health insurance," said Sam Harper, an epidemiologist at McGill University in Montreal. "It's not that easy."
Among the other factors:

Adults in the United States have one of the highest obesity rates in the world.
Nearly a third of U.S. adults 20 years and older are obese, while about two-thirds are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

"The U.S. has the resources that allow people to get fat and lazy," said Paul Terry, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta.
"We have the luxury of choosing a bad lifestyle as opposed to having one imposed on us by hard times."

Racial disparities. Black Americans have an average life expectancy of 73.3 years, five years shorter than white Americans.
Black American males have a life expectancy of 69.8 years, slightly longer than the averages for Iran and Syria and slightly shorter than in Nica-ragua and Morocco.

A relatively high percentage of babies born in the U.S. die before their first birthday, compared with other industrialized nations.

SaRawr said:

Ok, I realize this was a sarcastic comment, but c'mon. I'm about as pro-choice as they come, but "quietly praying" isn't hurting anybody. Would you rather that they stand out there with pitch forks and protest signs? If there's one thing we shouldn't be bothered by people doing, it's praying.

(I realize tone of voice in text is hard to read sometimes, but really, I'm not trying to attack anyone here. Just saying any peaceful protester is a friend, even if I disagree with their views.)

ckdexterhaven said:

Oh come one. It was just a joke. I mean, if a pro-lifer came on here and sarcastically said that he/she wanted to drive car a through the middle of a pro-choice rally, nobody would have made a big deal about that either. Right? heh.

SaRawr said:

I know, I know. And really, I make plenty of jokes that could be considered "poor taste" myself, but this one just kind of struck me as ... well, kind of hateful, which didn't seem like Bitch_PhD, who I've considered to be pretty open minded.

Can't we all just get along despite our views? Let's hug.

Bitch_PhD said:
Bitch_PhD saw some people quietly praying outside of the local Planned Parenthood the other day, and was briefly tempted to run them over with her car, but didn't.

Formus said:

The numbers are only for deaths during or as a direct result of childbirth, so suicide doesn't factor.