PAGE 6, WIUBY FREE PRESS. WEDNESDAY, JANVARY 15, 1992 The onfy Whîtby Newyspaper owned and operated by Whîtby resîdents for Whitby resîdents! Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Imc. at 131 Brook St. N., Whitby, Ontario LI N 5S1 Phone 668-6111 Toronto Line 427-1834 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pither - Editor Alexandra Martin.- Production Manager 2nd Glass Postal Registration.#05351 -o the editoram. Article promnoted low-risk. preg.nancy birth at home To the Editor: 1 was appalled -that: the Whitby Free Press hasreentIy (Jan. 8/92 issue) become active ln celebrating an irresponsîble attitude towards obstetrical health care. ft Is flot anly unfartunate that this attitude of Irresponsible heath care has been pramoted in aur local newspaper, but,. even more concerning, it has been flaunted on the f ront page without acknowledging the risks taken by the Zielonka family. ln truth, ItI s flot difficuit to understand how a reporter, perhaps inexperienced and flot skilleclat discriminating subleties in scientific literature, might flot appreciate the error ln judgment by suggésting il is reaonale to entertain thé notion of having a home birth after a previaus cesarian blrth. The Society of Obstétricians and Gynecologists of Canada <SOGO), a national organizaiton represénting OB/GYN specialists in Canada, have recognized the importance,, of midwives. in obstetrios but ,anly, under supervised and controlled clrcumstances withln a hospital setting; such midwivês have ta train and successfully pass a recagnized and, approved midwifery program that meets aur provincial standards.- To my knowledge, Peggy Cannon isà flot licensed ta practise midwifery in Ontario. Home births have neyer been (and neyer likely will be) recommended by the SOGC since this appraach ta the birth experience places the patient at undue and unnecessary risk ln labour. As has been shawn in numérous European countries, home births jeopardized the autome for thé newborn, since fetal ýdistress can ga unrecagnized, and transfer ta an. appropriated médical facility occurs too late for medical practitioners ta salvage a healthv What is perhaps mast difficult ta appreciate is that thé appraach of 'home births' taken by this midwife, Peggy Cannon, us okay most of the time; iLe., a midwffe, or any lay persan for that matter, can perfarm a home birth most times, since, on most occasians fatai distréss and a bad autcome are not encountered. A home birth, howevér, places a family in a most precariaus situation in which instantaneous emérgency is flot inmmédiately accessible; it is therefore a risky proposition. What is pérhaps most inexcusable is why your reporter, Mark Réésor, shows a happy Zielonka family on the first page of your newspaper, anîd yet that hé did flot havé the insight ta expose the paradox that this midwifé is ~romoting low-risk prégnancy irh thome; this patient has had a préviaus césarean section and is by no means -a low-risk prégnancy. 1 havé encloséd Information régarding- thé fact that one should flot be comrplacent about thé risks of vaginal délivêry after previous césaréan section, and that a 'VBAC' should anly be allowed in a hospital setting. 1 might add that ail three' obstetrician- gynecalogist specialists at N arlad Pickerfig Gênerai Haspita, flot anly perform VBACs, but also encourage- vaginal births* after a previous cesaréan. Dr. Alan Moîntyrs Obstotriclain &Gynecologlot Ajax, Ont. To thé Editor: By MIchael Wycks Thé palitical rhetorlc rollêd off thé speaker's tangue. Addréssin a press conférence recently, Ontaria's Minister af Cammunitj and Social Services, Marion Boyý outlinéd her- gavémment's intentions and then, in a matter of minutes, 650 piate day-care operators saw thfeir warlds turned upsidé down. Thé future of 6,500 child-care workers is now up in thé air with thé gavernment's décision ta transfarm Ontario's day-care system completely ta a publicly- funded, non-profit industry. Hère is yet another sign t hat thé government and its policiés are taking Ontario's economy for a dangerous ride ta f iranciai muin. Al in thé name of misguided ldeakogy. Thèse are thé facts: Queen's Park plans ta pump $105 million inta non-profit day care over thé néxt f ive yéars, while cutting off al subsidies ta thé for-profit séctar. Most af thé millions will be spent an increases ta non-profit salariés <up ta $2,000 per persan, per year) and towards 'sncouraglng' existing commercial day-care centres ta con vert ta non-profit status. None of thé money wiIl create an y new day-care spaces or imprové existing cnes, and, unfartunately, the staggéring provincial déficit, will' simply mushroom even larger. Al in thé support can cc et 225 Broci ab.Thank you ta WhitIby, Braoklin, <(403454). Myrtlé Station, Ashburn and other As thé lêade R e p n elocal areas, on behaif of thé many Army in hit Response w as Who receiyéd Christmas express ,MY6 assistance through aur local Century 21 apprecuated Slvation Army Christmas food éflér0us uef Vour génerosity more than AIso thanks matchéd thé nééd -- no one had ta volunteers W/ha To thé Edltor: go hungry in this area over thée raiig Christmas break. picking up ar on béhaif af the voluntéer Afthough hamper distribution ifampers, partic association. ai thé WhittW was up by 50 per cent over thé Kinttes, local- Psychiatrie Hoital, I would ice ta previous year, primarily due ta thé churchés, haspi sxténd sînceré thanks ta yau, aur economic climats, those Who had réaltors, ban community friends, for y0tfi shared in thé-true Christmnas spirit organizations,c respanse ta aur wsnd with those wha had not. ft is notéd individuais' whc Vofuntsér-a-WVish treévent and that 223 families wére helped with food and tays foi Christmas gift drive. a Christmas hamper. Many peopleé Bath évents were véiy Ih would seem that thé général action,~ thé ver succossful, and ws awé much ta trsnd inta 1992 is one af continued that was sa eé your Involvemént. need for manY famniliés. Thé by thé foundei Our sineré thanks ta ail who Salvation Army plédgés itself ta faith, Jésus Chi s~>rt aur volunteer efforts at thé ongoing support of such neci, and thé recil Chnsmas and, indsed, anl yéér and we -knrow that with thé gratéful. round. cantinued genéraus héauis of Whitby and area résidents wé can Joann H. AshIsy j'pcçan mLany Who are Dk.atorVoïItsÎtmVIb 1.w1thoMtin aur cm iiY i cntinue to begiven k St. N., Whhby ér of thé Salvation by 1 would like -ta sincère thanks ta réaltors for thé of théir facility on a ur food dépot. cs to -thé many >manned thé dépot, sorting, packçing, nd délivering thé, icularly thé Whitby schools, aur sister itals, local stores, nks,' businessés, clubs, groups and Dgathered manéy, or distribution. have exprésséd, in iry heart of giving oquéntly displayed ir 0f thé Christian hrist, and for this I piénts are truly R.G. Sheasby Captain Salivation *rinYI LMainstream I Canada* name of misguidéd ideology. Thé private day-caré aperators, having invested substantial sums into their dream 0f caring for young children, are now seêing that dream shattered by thé Ontario government. To cail them innocent victims is an understatement. Thée'for-profit' labe is not accurate since thé vast maarity make enaugh simply ta continue aperating. They . are caring, responsible aults mostly women), with thé 'admirable mish of promoting heaithy, well- adjusted children as a complement ta working 'parents,'-efforts. Their so-called crime, apparéntly in thé éyés'of thé Ontario gaverfiment, was théir raIe as entrep 1reneurs. For that, thelr future has been snuffed out. Ail in thé name of misguided Ildeolagy. For its part, thé Canadian Fédération of Independént Business had. made numérous requésts by mail. and fax ta méat with thé gavemment, ta diseus thé day cars issue. There was no attempt by thé goverfiment ta réspand ta, CFIB's inquiries, and the, federation's président John Bulloch now knows why. *This govemmént has redef inéd ,'opén consultation' ta mean, 'forget about talking, we'vé got aur own agenda ta méat and no ane's going ta' stop. us',* Bulloch says. OThé day-care issue is just anather example of this govêrnment ig noring ail other groups while following their narrow idéalogy and appeasing their strident interest groups, mindléss of thé impact thoir sweeping changés will bring ta thé economy. 'lt's as if thé NDP thinks government is thé prime creator of wêaith and prasperity, for an econmy, rathér than t hexabvia*us us! private énterprisé. Ontario bsness confidence is extremély low at this timeand the NDP is doing a mfarvellous job of kéépirig à tthat way.' Bulloch »is concernêd more small business séctors' will. see théir livélihood invadéd arnd crushed . by a zealous, intérventionist gaverfimênt. ' This policy décision sends out a distinct and négative message that any business ln Ontario may bu at risk of effective expropriation by. théir own. government. it amnounts ta another declaratian 0f war on ertrereneurl initiative in thé province.' AIl in thé-namé of misguided> Ideology. TOM, ROBERTSN wp.s named a Paul Harris: Fellow at a recent meeting of the Whitby Sunrise Rotary Club. Thé award recognizes hie long years of Rotary service. Il Ail in the name of misguided ideology No onehad togo hungry