No doubt the challenges to making appropriate care and information available to women facing illness and pregnancy are many. There are huge information gaps; the information we have is fractured and often hard to interpret; research with pregnant women is scientifically and ethically complex; and law and policy raise daunting barriers to conducting needed studies. Yet in my work on…
Category: perceptions
The Internet: a help or hindrance to high-risk pregnancies?
A normal pregnancy throws up endless questions. About what’s safe, about what’s advisable to eat or drink, what activities you can do, and what (if any) medicines you can take – and many other things too. So where do women turn? Less than a generation ago, pregnant women, and would-be pregnant women, typically turned to their mothers, close female relatives…
Read more > The Internet: a help or hindrance to high-risk pregnancies?
A TEDx Talk on Pregnancy Taboos: a Call for Change
In a newly released video, shot at TEDxBrussels on October 28th, Lode Dewulf offers a rallying call for change in the area of pregnancy and medical treatment. Dewulf, who has 25 years of pharmaceutical medical experience, told the audience, “Throughout the world, pregnant women are denied their basic rights simply because they are pregnant.” With recent statistics revealing that 90%…
Read more > A TEDx Talk on Pregnancy Taboos: a Call for Change
How Dr. Lyerly’s breaking pregnancy taboos
Dr. Anne Drapkin Lyerly, an obstetrician/gynecologist, researcher, bioethicist and author, is one of the founders of the Second Wave Initiative. Founded in 2009, the Second Wave Initiative aims to offer scientifically responsible solutions to pregnant women in need of medical treatment. We spoke to her to hear more about what she’s doing. Why did you decide to found the Second…
Is it right to leave pregnant women out?
Every day, the world of medicine moves one step forward. Compared to half a century ago, a decade ago, even a year ago, doctors have never been better informed, have more answers, and a wider range of drugs to turn to and help patients. But this pace of change hasn’t been equal for everyone. Particularly when it comes to testing…
Too scared to try?
For women with a chronic disease or condition, most assume that pregnancy is out of the question. In fact, many don’t even bother to ask their doctors – they expect a “no” before they’ve even started to ask any questions. But there’s plenty of research to suggest that these women don’t always have to be too scared to try. With…
Brave women; brave doctors
Testing drugs on pregnant women suffering from a life-threatening disease is not an easy decision to make. It’s not just about the mother-to-be and her illness, but there’s a second life to consider. So how do doctors strike a balance between the mother’s health and the fetus’ wellbeing? It takes a brave doctor, and a brave mother-to-be, to try and…
