NIH VBAC Consensus Conference Information

Posted by: "Susan Hodges"

Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:54 am (PST)

Grassroots Network Message 100102
NIH VBAC Consensus Conference Information
Dear Friends,
The National Institutes of Health are holding a “consensus
development conference” on the issue of VBAC in early March.
You can attend in person but there is also the option of
registering for the Webcast, where registrants will also be able
to submit questions on-line.
The announcement below includes brief background, but you can
find more extensive background, plus a listing of the entire
program, at: http://consensus.nih.gov/2010/vbac.htm.

There is also detailed
information about the venue, transportation, etc.
On the web page above, there is a menu choice of “get
involved”. The very last item is “contact us with
questions or comments”. Given our experience with the
consensus conference on “maternal choice cesarean
section” a few years ago, the NIH definitely needs to hear
from many people, from both inside and outside the hospital
walls, for there to be any chance of a fair or meaningful
“consensus” to be reached.
It is worth reading through the program topics and who is
speaking on them. Almost all of the speakers are OBs. It is
interesting that no mention is made of the use of drugs to
stimulate or augment labor as an issue in the safety of VBAC
–hopefully that will be addressed… There appears to be
virtually no consideration about the manner in which VBAC is
undertaken (support? Use of drugs? Attitude of provider? Type of
provider? Etc.) which seems like a pretty important topic related
to frequency, success and risks. There is a section for
“mothers’ stories” – by a USA Today medical
reporter, the next to last speaker on the program. Does anyone
know her? And, of course, there is no listed topic addressing
the high and increasing rate of cesarean section, an underlying
factor.
We know consumers and others made a difference by attending,
commenting and speaking up at the “maternal choice
cesarean” NIH conference. So, let’s make use of this
opportunity to make our voices heard in whatever way we can
regarding VBAC.
Sincerely,
Susan Hodges, “gatekeeper”