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Show ; I: i JFamily Weekly April u, ms v Vacuum-cu- p infant surgery, hypnotic delivery these are breakthroughs worth celebrating r fcr? m births, J lit l n., By LESTER DAVID J Painless childbirth: While no new anesthetics have come to the fore in recent years, great progress has been made in the development of pain-- , relieving techniques that do not rely on the use of gas or medications. .These are psychophysical methods which utilize the mind and the body to diminish and even banish birth pains entirely. . In a recent study, Dr. C. Lee Buxton of Yale University School of Medicine reported that no fewer than 20 separate techniques of this kind are now being taught and used in the U. S. All of them, he asserts, have impressive percentages of success. The methods are bedemanded numbers of women ing by increasing because they feel that going to sleep deprives them of an essential life experience. These new techniques are all outgrowths of Dr. Grantly Dick Read's famous h method of SO years ago, which involves certain breathing and muscle exercises to relax the mind and body. While the new ones differ in philosophy and emphasis, they have these factors in common : They teach an expectant mother what happens during birth, allay her fears, and instruct her in breathing, relaxation, and muscle-tonin- g '" techniques. One of the newest techniques is Dr. Samuel Ilershman, coauthor of a work on medical and dental hypnosis, reports that more than 50,000 babies have been born in the U.S. to mothers who have hypnotized themselves! Many doctors combine hypnosis with drugs. Hospitals and clinics throughout the country now give instruction in natural childbirth. Persons interested in learning more may write to the Maternity Center Association, 48 East 92nd St., New York, N.Y., 10028. . drugle&s-childbir- th natural-childbirt- self-hypnos- is. Infancy t v Hyaline membrane disease: A wave of excitement swept through the pathologists assembled in Miami for a 1964 convention, when a report was read that a cure for this terrible illness had been found. One out of every two stricken babies dies in a few days, unable to breathe because his tiny lungs are clogged. Dr. Daniel Stowens, director of laboratories at Children's Hospital in Louisville, told his colleagues at the convention that he had discovered a deceptively simple remedy: two Epsom-sa- lt enemas administered immediately after birth. The reason it works, according to Dr. Stowens, is that victims have too much water in their bodies and are too immature to expel it. J'hey try to' get rid of the water through the lungs, clogging them up. The Epsom salt draws off the fluid, allowing the infant to breathe normally. In all, 28 babies were treated at five Louisville hospitals, each successfully. Dr. Stowens' discovery is still the source of controversy, but if further studies corroborate it, thousands of baric deaths may be averted each year. Baby surgery: Miracles are being performed daily by a new breed of medical specialists, pediinfants atric surgeons. Operations on hour-ol- d are not uncommon any more. Special miniature ia instruments have been devised, including masks the size of phone mouthpieces and scalpels like ddlhouse cutlery The utmost precision is demanded because an and his blood vesinfant's tissues are cobweb-fin-e sels are the diameter of thin pencil lead. Nonetheless, doctors now routinely perform surgery for such conditions as intestinal obstruction, saving nine out of 10 babies. Twenty years ago, the statistics were tragically reversed nine out of 10 born with such obstructions died. Perhaps the greatest "surgical miracles of all are being performed on babies born with defective- hearts-- . Today, eight in 10 babies born with heart abnormalties either can be aided or cured ; entirely.- Recently, successful heart Burgery was .' , anes-thes- performed at Buffalo Children's Hospital on a little girl believed to be the youngest person ever to survive that type of operation. She was only two days oldl Surgery also is doing wonders in repairing clubfeet and cleft palates, removing unsightly birthmarks, and correcting gross deformities. "Preemie" marvel: One reason more and more prematurely born babies survive their first few perilous hours is an amazing new incubator which regulates the body temperature with incredible exactitude. Attached to the baby's body is an ultrasensitive device that records temperature. The instant his body heat dips a fraction from a preset 97 degrees, the device activates an electronic heating unit that brings it right back to normal. Another important development is the discovery of techniques for spotting mothers who New studies show that are Mpreemie"-pronwomen with small hearts and certain types of infections are more likely to have premature babies. By staying in bed during pregnancy, these women can reduce chances of y births. Mental retardation New studies disclose that many babies are born with the dreaded affliction, called phenylketonuria, or PKU. Left undetected (as all cases have been until recently), it can lead to severe mental retardation. A simple blood test, devised by Dr. Robert Guthrie of the University of Buffalo, now can be made on newborn babies to determine whether the condition exists. Once it is detected, the baby is placed on a special diet that can prevent irreparable brain damage. Many states have procedures to detect PKU. All these discoveries are part of medicine's g of every amazing war to insure the American mother and her new baby. Hardly a day goes by that new victories are not won. And that's great news for everyone. T e. too-earl- " mass-screeni- well-bein- Family Weekly, April 11, 1966 ng |