Adoptions from Vietnam to the United States is in danger of being temporarily suspended because of investigations that shown misuse of the system. Large numbers of Americans apply for adoption of Vietnamese children each year, and because of this the waiting list has become huge. Whenever there is a demand so high there also seems to always be corruption in the midst.

In one case a Vietnamese grandmother attempted to give her own grandchild up for adoption, but was unsuccessfully able to do so. Another case in this story told of a hospital that tried to give a baby up for adoption, citing that the mother had abandoned the child, but the mother was able to somehow recover her child.

Another area of concern is the number of citations of abandoned baby’s on adoption papers amounting to 85%. The U.S. officials believe that this huge number may be a sign of foul play and corruption.

More on Adoption from Vietnam

A study recently released showed that women that ate high energy food were more likely to produce male children over female children.

While the mechanism is not yet understood, it is known from in vitro fertilization research that higher levels of glucose, or sugar, encourage the growth and development of male embryos while inhibiting female embryos.

This makes me want to look back and see what I was actually eating during the time that I became pregnant with my children. My eating habits did change a bit by the time I became pregnant with my son, my third. One thing is that I had extra weight that I was trying to lose at the time. Who knows, there is always some theory on how to conceive a boy or girl.

Source: Yahoo News

Wesley Snipes will be back in an Ocala courtroom to face sentencing on his 3 misdemeanor convictions for failing to pay taxes. Prosecutors want Snipes to pay fines and serve some prison time. Defense attorneys, on the other hand, would like Snipes to get probation. Celebrities like Denzel Washington, Woody Harrelson, and Judge Joe Brown have written letters of support for Snipes.

Source: Orlando Sentinel

April is Cesarean Awareness Month. According to ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) Cesarean awareness month is a “month of awareness about the impact of cesarean sections on mothers, babies, and families worldwide. It’s about educating yourself to the pros and cons of major abdominal surgery and the possibilities for healthy birth afterwards as well as educating yourself for prevention of cesarean section.”

In a report released by the CDC in late 2007, the rate of cesarean sections rose to record high of 31.1% of all live births during the year 2006. With this rate most people know someone who has had a cesarean section or is a mother that has a cesarean section. Although cesarean sections were initially introduced to save lives there increase use has been a source of debate and criticism.

One option for women that have had had a cesarean section is to have a VBAC. A VBAC is an acronym for Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. Although some women have been told, and believe that once you have a cesarean you must always have a cesarean that is definitely not the case. In fact, the ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) has said that a VBAC should be an option for most women that have had one lower transverse uterine incision.

Litigation is sadly one of the reasons that many providers across Tampa Bay, Florida and the United States have discontinued offering VBACs to their patients. In a survey done by ACOG, 14.8% of ACOG fellows stopped offering VBACS between 1999 and 2002 because of the affordability of litigation insurance.

This sadly shows that having a baby is a business that is affected by money. Women now must become more informed about their bodies and what is best for them and their babies. Most women would not go into a car dealership without doing some research. A baby and the birth of your baby are more important than any car you would ever purchase. Sadly some care providers will not have all the facts or will not disclose them to you. Do plenty of research on the options available to you.

Helpful Resources:

Recommendations on Ways to Avoid a Cesarean Section

VBAC pamphlet from ACOG

ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network)