Posted on 02/21/2005 10:56:52 AM PST by neverdem
No doubt they will use the reults to sue the obstetrician and the hospital.
"reults" = results
I refused and they had everyone- including the hospital administrator in my hospital room threatening me.
The administrator sent the lab people up to my room- to try to do the test while I was sleeping!(But to their surprise I was just resting my eyes)
I think that is a moment none of us will soon forget.
Needless to say the hospital finally released me without the tests... I think I made it clear that they wouldn't want to try to keep me or my baby for extended periods of time.
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
What company does or produces the tests, and what's their stock ticker...?
This is disgusting. And what will happen if you refuse these tests? Honestly... what about independent communities like the Amish? More government intrusion. Such arrogance.
The first disease mentioned, sickle cell anemia, is mostly occuring in the African American sector of our community. Otherwise it is almost non existent. It is not necessary to always check for certain diseases.
I have no idea. It could be one company. 10 years ago, they were only doing 5 tests.
Unreal!
What did they threaten you with? Calling child services?
1-800-lawyers? I sure would!
They were just trying to bully me...I suppose it works on some folks.
hehe! they were wimps when it came down to it. we didn't need to get that far. Once they figured out I was not going to buckle they let it go. They gave the old college try tho.
Gotta look that up. Carbonic acid (CO2 + H2O) I can see, but carbolic?
Note: It has a peculiar odor, somewhat resembling creosote, which is a complex mixture of phenol derivatives. It is of the type of alcohols, and is called also phenyl alcohol , but has acid properties, and hence is popularly called carbolic acid, and was formerly called phenic acid. It is a powerful caustic poison, and in dilute solution has been used as an antiseptic. [1913 Webster]
2. Any one of the series of hydroxyl derivatives of which phenol proper is the type. [1913 Webster]
Glacial phenol (Chem.), pure crystallized phenol or carbolic acid.
Phenol acid (Chem.), any one of a series of compounds which are at once a derivative of phenol and an organic acid; thus, salicylic acid is a phenol acid.
Phenol alcohol (Chem.), any one of series of derivatives of phenol and carbinol which have the properties of both combined; thus, saligenin is a phenol alcohol.
Phenol aldehyde (Chem.), any one of a series of compounds having both phenol and aldehyde properties.
Phenol phthalein. See phenolphthalein. [1913 Webster]
Carbolic acid \Car*bol"ic ac"id\ (k[aum]r*b[o^]l"[i^]k [a^]s"[i^]d), n. [L. carbo coal + oleum oil.] (Chem.) same as phenol[1], (C6H5.OH). See phenol[1].
Syn: phenol[1], hydroxybenzene, phenyl hydroxide, phenic acid. [PJC]
Maybe GINA KOLATA is getting hard of hearing.
What a bunch of losers. Sounds like, "I'm from the gov't, and you are going to accept my help, whether you like it or not".
Having a baby in a hospital has become a very trying experience.
""But opponents say that for all but about five or six of the conditions, it is not known whether the treatments help or how often a baby will test positive but never show signs of serious disease. There is a danger, they say, of children with mild versions of illnesses being treated needlessly and aggressively for more serious forms and suffering dire health consequences.
And both sides agree that the tests unintentionally pick up about 25 other conditions, in addition to the 29 that the screening is intended to find. These additional conditions show up as abnormalities, but no one knows what they mean. It is not known whether they are associated with a disease or, if so, what the effects will be.
The federal advisory group recommended informing the parents of such results. But that advice, too, is controversial. ""
The good news is that the tests are not Prenatal, and it's still illegal to kill babies after birth.
These tests are expensive and will only help one in 10 to 20 million. If the baby is your baby, that will be wonderful.
However, (however unfortunately) that means that the other nearly 10 or 20 million children will have 29 plus 25 tests they didn't need, and there will be a few (5% or 10%?) false positives, plus all those who test positive for the 25 abnormalities no one knows anything about (including how to treat). Some of these tests check for diseases that can only be helped by a **liver transplant**!!
Don't forget the lab mixups, reporting errors, terror of wondering and waiting! (I've had a couple of those ruin lives)
In Texas, the 5 tests which are mandatory for newborns are billed to the doctor or hospital where they are done. But, Medicaid will not reimburse them and, of course, no one can charge the parents of the Medicaid patients a penny or a co-pay.
Nevertheless, the pressure is mounting for the State to buy machines and equipment to do these tests on every baby born in the State. While the State Medicaid budget is under increasing pressure.
Pull back to old fashioned logic and medical ethics of "First, do no harm." Will it help or cause harm? Do we even know?
Make the tests available for sick babies, for babies with a family risk factor and for those diseases that can be treated by a diet change, such as PKU. But not in batches like this, with so many unknowns.
I agree completely.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.