Bleach «on the rocks»
OCU. a Spanish consumer organisation, has recently published the results of its analysis i)f sterilisers for baby bottles. These are usually liquids to be added to the water in which the bottles are steeped for sterilisation. The results show that, although these chemical sterilisers can be handy at times, they are often no more effective than the age-old method of boiling and they take more time (1-1/2 hours instead of 10 minutes) and more money. The three brands available in Spain are Milton, Chicco and Solusteril. Miltons instructions say it is harmless for babies, but omit saying that this is only if diluted properly. Milton claims to protect infants from gastro-intestinal infections, but actually that protection comes from proper sterilisation (by whatever method) and breast milk, not from Milton's product. Finally OCU points out that the product is nothing but bleach, at about 20 times the price, and claims to be non-toxic. Is it safe then to drink Milton «on the rocks»?
Information from.
Consumer Currents, March 1985.
OCU Regional Office for Asia and The Pacific, P.O. Box 1045 Penang, Malaysia.
ULTRASOUND
A Growing Concern
There is a growing concern among consumers and health care providers that the immediate benefits of diagnostic ultrasound in obstetrics may not outweigh the risks.
Ultrasound, originally developed as a sonar device in submarine warfare, uses high-frequency sound waves to get a picture or image of objects inside the body, such as a fetus, that are not clearly seen by x-rays. It has been widely used for the last five to eight years. Ultrasound can be used to tell if a women has twins, detect a pregnancy occurring in the fallopian tube rather than the uterus, determine fetal age, evaluate bleeding during pregnancy or detect physical abnormalities. It is also used prior to amniocentesis.
When an ultrasound is performed, the picture or scan is called a sonogram. Pictures are usually taken of the images and examined by a radiologist.
Ultrasound is also used in a device called a Doptone which is used during prenatal exams and in labor to listen to fetal heart tones. The Doptone delivers 99.9 times more energy than an ultrasound scan.
At present, a little over 50 % of scan are used for only one medical indication, the determination of fetal age.
Millions of pregnant women are being exposed to diagnostic ultrasound before the long-term effects on fetal development are fully understood. It will be 20 to 30 years before we know whether ultrasound will be the DES of the next generation. The occurrence of premature ovulation after ovarian ultrasonography is disturbing; as arc its implications. If ultrasound can affect the adult ovary, what then is the effect on the ova of the female fetus?
Research has found evidence of growth anomalies and hereditary changes in the DNA of cells after ultrasound exposure. The US Federal Drug Administration has called attention to research that suggests a tendency towards lower birth weight in infants exposed to ultrasound in utero (in the uterus). Preliminary data from the United Kingdom suggests a higher incidence of leukemia in children thus exposed. And though it is difficult to translate into humans the effects of studies done on animals, it is important to note that some of the published animal studies suggest ultrasound exposure can affect prenatal growth.
Recommendations from a U.S. National Institute of Health panel include: informing patients of the specific clinical reason for the ultrasound; performing ultrasound only when clear specific benefit is apparent; informing patients of any potential risks and any available alternatives; and making patient education materials available (materials not produced by the manufacturers of sonography equipment.)
The recommendations were not clear regarding how much of a discrepancy for fetal age actually requires ultrasound. Is it two weeks, four weeks or does it matter if a pregnancy seems normal?
The US National Women's Health Network suggests that women sign consent forms for obstetric procedures involving ultrasound. Such a procedure would help ensure an adcguate exchange of information between the doctor, or midwife, and the patient, thereby enabling a woman to make an informed decision. The NetWork News Nov., Dec. 1984; Womanwise Vol. 7 No. 4, Winter 1984.
Right to Choose
Women's Abortion Action Campaign, 62 Regent Street, Chippendale, NSW 2008, Australia.
A women's health action magazine covering a wide range of women's health issues, with particular emphasis on those in Australia.
Second Opinion
Second Opinion. 1638-B Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA.
A monthly publication produced by the Coalition for Medical Rights of Women, which is made up of health workers and consumers. Second Opinion includes articles on themes such as women and alcohol, premenstrual syndrome and contraception. It also includes recent health news and announcements about activities, particularly in the USA.
Broadsheets
Women's Health Collective, Ufton Centre, 12 Ufton Road, London Nl 5BY, England or (BSSRS), 9 Poland Street, London Wl, England.
A series of information sheets developed out of a Conference on the Social Causes of Women's 111 Health held in London in November 1981. Each pamphlet is produced by a group or an individual working on the issues. Issues published include: Women's Health and Food, Women's Health and Smoking, Women's Health in History, Danger Women at Work. Each information sheet includes a brief survey of the issue, important contacts and reading lists.
Isis International Women's Journal No. 3
Via Santa Maria dell'Anima 30, Rome, 00186 Italy.
Our first Journal for 1985 is on women in health, focusing on the situation of women's health in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is being published together with the Health and Sexuality Feminist Collective of Sao Paulo, Brazil.