Birth complications for babies with Down Syndrome

[proud2BlibKansan]

Birth defects involving the heart such as an atrial septal defect or ventricular septal defect

Half are born with heart problems, many serious enough to require immediate surgery following birth

Heart murmurs

Gastrointestinal defects

Low birth weight

Decreased muscle tone at birth

Increased risk of leukemia

Hearing loss

Vision problems

Thyroid malfunction

Increased susceptibility to infection (as is any unborn baby in a womb where the water has leaked before labor begins, so this was a double whammy risk for Palin's baby)

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=136§ionId=6

http://www.pregnancy-info.net/chromosomal_downsyndrome.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000997.htm

[PeaceNikki]

1. What's the point of this?

There are tons of reasons to disagree with and attack this VP candidate, why on Earth do you resort to bringing her child into the conversation?

I just don't get it.

[demo dutch]

3. Not her child but the poor decision making on her part see my discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6846096&mesg_id=6846096

[Ernesto-Che-Guevara]

41. Her decision-making was consulted with her doctor

As explained earlier, she spoke to her doctor before and during the flight to Alaska, and the doctor saw nothing "unreasonable" in not rushing to the hospital.

[tekisui]

4. It is her horrible judgment.

[knitter4democracy]

7. She could have died, that's what.

A doctor friend of ours's wife almost died from waiting too long after her water broke to get medical attention (in her case, it wasn't her fault--Pakistani woman in a West Michigan ER where the nurses said she didn't know what she was talking about and refused to admit her or even call her husband who was on-call in the same freakin' hospital at the time). She almost died. The baby almost died.

The reality is, she was damn close to the 24 hour limit after a mama's water breaks. She could have died, and so could her son. Any woman that colossally stupid shouldn't be anywhere near the White House.

[PeaceNikki]

9. Sticking our noses in the medical decisions of people and their doctors is not a "progressive" trait

[knitter4democracy]

11. No, it's a human one.

Forget that she and her fellow Feminists for Life want to stick their noses in and keep women from being able to get the right medical care. Forget that. Why the hell would anyone vote for someone with such a callous disregard for her and her baby's lives? It smacks of a political stunt (make sure the baby's born in Alaska kind of thing), but they could've died for it. That's why we're upset.

And hey, I'm used to people sticking their noses into my medical business. As a doctor's wife, I gave up on medical privacy ages ago. We work harder to protect my husband's, as anything medical could affect his job, but pretty much all the medical people in town know mine.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Well said!!

:applause:

[intheozone]

8. Insurance fraud. That baby is going to need a lot of medical care. nt

[WhiteTara]

34. not to mention that she

failed to notify the flight crew of her impending delivery. How rude for the other passengers that they could have been completely inconvenienced if they had had to divert to another airport. I'm sure there is something about the airline's liability as well. I think it shows that she doesn't care about anyone but herself.

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. Yes it sounds like it's all about Sarah all the time

[demo dutch]

2. Yep see my post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6846096&mesg_id=6846096

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Let's compare family values, shall we?

Biden - rides a train 90 minutes each way every day to be at home with his family

Palin - places her own ego above her unborn disabled child and chooses to give a speech after her water breaks

[ensho]

6. I saw on CNN footage a young woman holding a newborn

following along behind Palin and McC.

assuming that is her baby - out there in the sun and crowd isn't something I would have done.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Down Syndrome infants are very susceptible to infections

which can and do result in death. But she takes her baby to a campaign event - where I assume there were lots of people!?

This woman shows bad judgment every day.

[knitter4democracy]

12. I was thinking of the convention.

What a hard decision--do you keep the kids with you, late at night right before school starts with all the craziness and no good naptime the next day, or do you send them to bed, to hell with the punditocracy? I always see the kids, and I always feel a bit sorry for them. What if the baby starts to cry or needs to nurse?

[blondeatlast]

13. Do we want the strangers nosing in our decision NOT to have a DS child?

Then I don't want strangers nosing in on her choice to do so. Palin's so obviously weak and completely unsuitable we don't NEED to go there (but if DU wants to discuss it, who am I to say don't?)

I'as pro-CHOICE as they come--regardless of which choice it is. You can't be peo-choice if you don't support one and not the other.

I'll happily take the flames for this but I won't change my mind.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Sorry if you misundestood, but I am not criticizing her decision to have the child

In fact, I applaud that. I teach special ed and kids with Downs are treasures.

My concern is her waiting till after she gave her speech to fly back to Alaska to give birth. She knew her unborn baby was disabled yet when her water broke she didn't go to a hospital immediately. That is callous and selfish. She likely caused this child to have even more disabilities.

[blondeatlast]

18. That's fine AFAIK. This woman wants to be a heartbeat away from the presidency--

and she made a colossally risky judgment to a high-risk pregnancy.

I had a very high risk pregnancy and I walked on absolute glass shards to protect it--and ny healthy 11 year old is proof that I did it right.

[ensho]

20. true - I could psych and say she did it on purpose

and going back to work after 3 days? - running away from the baby?

very unusual.

[JVS]

14. This would be good to nail her. She's about as anti-abortion as someone...

who chooses not to abort but then keeps throwing herself down the staircase.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. She placed her unborn child at risk

That is what we need to hammer her with.

What kind of family values does this selfish bitch have?

[JVS]

21. Take it a level higher. She was hoping to kill it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. That is a fair assumption

[knitter4democracy]

32. Or she was too stupid to think that it might die from her political stunt.

Honestly, I'm not the type to judge other moms. Really, I'm not. But this has made me lose all respect for the woman entirely. She and the baby could have died.

[proud2BlibKansan]

38. She lost me too

(as if she ever had me in the first place)

But I can't possibly respect a woman who would do this to her unborn baby.

[JVS]

22. I started a thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6847954&mesg_id=6847954

[KoKo]

24. And, she's placing him at risk by dragging him around like a "trophy baby" to be

used to whip up the RW'ers who forced her on the ticket. What kind of "family values" does it show to put her baby who needs much attention at risk like that? What does that show about her judgement?

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. High risk of infection in Downs kids

During flu season, many parents keep their Downs kids at home and don't send them to school. And they are not infants.

[KoKo]

35. Exactly...and she and her husband had a "Photo Op" where they accepted responsibility for this baby

with all his handicaps they felt they could take care of him with all the "extra time" that it takes to deal with a child who is challenged. But, instead she decides to drag him around through "Bright Lights and Crowds and Thousands...just because she got the VEEP nomination.

I question their judgement given that so many families have to change their whole life because of a "special needs child." She parades him like an "Apendage" to the rest of her healthy family and passes him off to her oldest daughter.

Maybe many DU'ers find what she is doing as admirable...(not to change your "lifestyle" just because of your choice and they think they can "Have it All" (selfish) because this baby is so young they don't realize all the special needs this special baby will have to have. But, in the VEEP Mansion she will have MUCHO HELP to take care of baby "Trig" and no one will ever know he exists until he goes into a "Home for the Disabled" because she has four other healthy children.

Just like McCain's "Black Daughter"...who was not considered "photogenic"...baby Trig will be shuffled off as a genetic mistake while they have ample funds to put him "out of sight" while thousands of American Families are not so lucky to have great care and to shunt off their "baby of choice" to the fine homes and excellent care that Palin family will have available.

It's hypocisy to the highest degree what they do. The wealthy can conceal the kids and relatives who don't come up to what they need to WIN ELECTIONS! The rest of us are forced to deal with Crap Health Care Providers and are without any help that matters to keep their family going. Unlike Palin they have to go to work at Walmart or some other job that pays little and try to rely on friends and family to get them through. And they might lose their house and job because of a "special needs child."

[sandnsea]

19. And she had it at Mat-su, with no NICU

Very bizarre, I have to admit.

[TwilightGardener]

23. The fact that she went out of her way to deliver at a non-NICU facility

when the baby was pre-term and known to have genetic defects is simply crazy. She is the Governor, and an experienced older mother, she's not some ignorant young girl who doesn't have access to the best health care. Edit to add: Why would her OB approve of this decision?

[sandnsea]

25. I absolutely abhor this story

But it does keep getting more and more bizarre. I figured she had the baby in Anchorage and there was no way this kind of craziness would ever happen. But at her local hospital? Who knows.

[knitter4democracy]

33. I've been wondering about the doctor issue myself.

FPs don't do high-risk pregnancies. Period. They don't have the training at all. Three years of residency to learn surgery, obstetrics, medicine, and peds against five years of Ob/Gyn?! No way. Her doctor did not meet the standard of care in this case at all--FP shouldn't have taken on the patient, didn't prohibit the trip at such a late date, didn't tell her to stay in Houston and deliver there and refuse to give medical consent, and then delivered a very high risk pregnancy that was in pre-term labor at a facility without a NICU?! Malpractice. Pure and simple. Add in the political favors the governor has bestowed on the good doctor, and the whole thing smells.

[mnhtnbb]

40. She didn't have an OB--the MD she consulted was a family practitioner

[purgingtheliars]

28. Oh dear, you need to really learn the facts

That list is fairly true BUT THEY ARE NOT ALL PRESENT AT BIRTH. Leukaemia for example. I've actually never heard of a baby born with it who has Ds. It is something that is tested for annually though.

Heart issues show up on scans. She'd already have known. Thyroid is again, something that sets in later. Low muscle tone is nothing that would affect the birth. They are just a little bit floppier than a typical baby.

Here is my post from another thread

I find it really amazing how much wider her nose is in that photo, almost as if it was 'tampered' with.

I MUST say this, or the democrats are going to look like right wallies....

I am a Mum of a baby that was diagnosed with Down Syndrome after she was born. She was MUCH smaller than my previous pregnancy and as is often the case, she arrived 4-5 weeks early (often in the cases of DS).

The other photos on another thread showed a photo of Sarah 15 weeks prior to giving birth to Trig and she is MUCH larger than I EVER got in my pregnancy. I was always asked (even in A&E by a doctor) if I was certain I was really pregnant. This is bog standard for a DS pregnancy.

Also, people have posted photos of the family from 2006 to compare to another photo they are so sure the daughter looks pregnant. Well, look at the one that is 'verified' as from 2006 to show Piper's age difference. The girl who you all are so certain is pregnant in the other photo is actually LARGER in the one from 2006. She is just built that way.

Also, having a belly button like that is NOT a sign of pregnancy lol as the 'nurse who works with paediatricians' said. I have FOUR sister in laws that ALL had that exact belly button as they were growing up. In fact, two of them have now had children and during their pregnancies their belly buttons SHRANK.

And, saying that the husband looks so Caucasian and the baby looks more Inuit (not sure of spelling) is so ridiculous! My husband's sister is much darker skinned than any of the rest of the 9 of them. They have a great grandmother that is Jewish and she has her colouring. She also looks like her when she was the same age. Don't you people know anything about genetics and families?

I'm British(and yes, the moderators can do a search on my ISP so you can confirm I'm British) so I really don't care who wins the election but please, from across the pond you all look like you are so frightened she may help McCain win it is pathetic!

As for the length of time for mono, we don't call it that here but honestly, even if she was out of school for an extended time there is no way that the Mum could fake that she gave birth and no doctor is going to put their career on the line for something like that. Honestly, find something better to spread so you don't look so 'grasping at hairs'.

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. You are bringing up a bunch of things I did not address in my OP

I deliberately avoided all issues except birth complications for babies with Downs. That is the topic of this thread. It is irresponsible, selfish and IMO, abusive to avoid going to a hospital immediately once your water breaks, especially if you are carrying a child with a disability.

I will gladly discuss that issue with you. For the other topics you mentioned, there are numerous threads here on them.

Welcome to DU :hi:

[LisaL]

30. If babies with Downs are usually born early, would you

be flying a month before your baby would have been due if he or she didn't have Downs?

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. I wouldn't fly anywhere a month before my baby was due

even if I was not carrying a baby with a disability. I also doubt any doctor would say it's okay.

[KoKo]

36. and...your CHOICE was for your BABY....obviously Palin had a very different

view of her responsibilites. You took yours seriously...like many DU Women...but Palin didn't seem to see it the way we do.. :-(

[proud2BlibKansan]

37. Yep. How bout those family values?