Childbirth is one of the most magnificent and miraculous experiences of our lives; it is the most profound and powerful event of nature!

While all of us accept that birth is a natural event, most of us associate it with medicine, hospital, and technology.

However, few of us realize that high-technology interventions may disrupt and alter the naturally unfolding physiological process of childbirth, resulting in unnecessary cesarean sections and increased health risks.

For this reason, the U.S. has one of the poorest outcomes of childbirth in the entire industrialized world – with one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates, in spite of the highest spending on childbirth and aftercare.

Join haikProject on February 29th and learn how to avoid hospital protocols that may result in invasive high-tech interventions.

Childbirth can be blissful or miserable – the mother’s knowledge and preparation can have a great impact on the experience.

Your child is too precious for you to ever say, “I wish I had known.”

Presented by Medical Anthropologist Astrik Vardanyan
Foreword by Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr. Arthur Pogosyan
Discussion led by Psychologist Dr. Lisa Manuelian

Wednesday, February 29, at 7:00 pm
Artek Preschool, 546 W. Broadway, Glendale, 91204

Admission fee $25.
Free for members.

Become a member to attend all monthly seminars year-round for an annual membership fee of $40.
Ask for membership at the door.

For more information call 818-392-HAIK(4245) or visit haikProject.org

The study found that the early trauma of circumcision is radically detrimental for the emotional development of males; according to the study the effects of circumcision extend beyond the immediate impact or even beyond the known post-traumatic disorder – from which one can recover in time – to a development of a more chronic and permanent personality disorder. The study found that circumcised men were 60% more likely to suffer from alexithymia (Greek word – “having no words for feelings) a condition that affects one’s ability to identify, feel and process emotions.

People suffering from alexithymia also exhibit detachment, emotional unavailability and lack of empathy. Severe forms of alexithymia may retard the development of language and social skills. Another central symptom of alexithymia is impulsivity, which is linked to violence.

Often the circumcised fathers want their sons to “look alike;” but authors say, this might be an unconscious urge to make the sons to also “feel alike.” The generational pain-infliction thus, perpetuates in the society rationalized by “like father, like son syndrome.”

Circumcised men in the study were 4.53 times more likely to use an erectile dysfunction drug.

Authors speculate that if the results of the study find external validity in the society at large, then it should have mass-scale repercussions on mental health in the US, and a concern for public health at large.

Source: Alexithymia and Circumcision Trauma: A Preliminary Investigation

Finally, in 1996 The U.S. Congress passed a Law Banning Female Circumcision:

HR: 941 “Sec. 116. Female genital mutilation

“(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever knowingly circumcises, excises, or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of another person who has not attained the age of 18 years shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

This means 0 tolerance to religious Muslim ritual in this country;  any pricking or excision – even as minor as letting down one drop of blood – will put the parents to jail.

Double Standard: Male – the Disposable Gender

Why is female genitalia protected by law, venerated in arts and poetry, engaged in “vagina monologues” and male genitalia disposed in bio-hazardous waste in hospitals?  How many years it will take before the U.S. recognizes male genital cutting as mutilation? Will people ever see that there is in fact symmetry between male and female genital cutting? (Some forms of female cutting are much less severe than male circumcision).

Asymmetry #1. Baby boys do not have the same protection by law. When it comes to male cutting, it’s the parents’ right. When it comes to female cutting (no matter how light in form) it’s the state’s right.

Asymmetry # 2. Removing tissue from female genitalia is a health hazard. Removing tissue from male genitalia is a profound health measure.

How can this be? Embriologically they are the same tissue with same functions: protective, immunological, sexual.

Shouldn’t children, both male and female, have right to their full body and genitalia?

Gatto’s  Bill:  AB_768 is a Violation of Equal Protection:

Criminalizing female genital cutting and allowing male genital cutting is discriminatory. The international law including, Article 13 of the United Nations Charter, as well as Article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.”

For those who think that male circumcision is minor procedure compared to female circumcision please take a look at the photos by clicking the link below. The photos are of explicit and graphic content – please use discretion.

Infant circumcision photos[explicit content - please use discretion]

Theories of Prevention

No parent should ever say “I wish I’d known”

Birth Complications

Learning Problems

ADHD

Anemia

Autism

SIDS

by Medical Anthropologist Astrik Vardanyan

Group discussions with Doctor of Psychology Lisa Manuelian

Lectures are held at Artek Child Daycare, 546 West Broadway,  Glendale, CA  91204 every last Wednesday of each month and are free to our members.

Become a member to attend and support our organization’s efforts.

Please call haikProject at 818-392-HAIK (4245) or email  info@haikproject.org for more information.

While all of us will accept that birth is a natural event, most of us associate it with hospital, medicine, and technology. However, few of us realize that high-technology interventions may disrupt and alter the naturally unfolding physiological process of childbirth.

Most women are unaware of the potential physical and emotional consequences of highly medicalized routine of the hospital birth. Through medical anthropology I explored the various cultural practices surrounding reproduction and women’s health. The cross-cultural comparison and my three unnecessary and preventable Caesarian deliveries in the U.S. hospitals profoundly changed my outlook as a professional and as a mother.

Many women repent submitting themselves to the procedures that restrain their ability to deliver naturally. These procedures rob from women what could have been the most natural and empowering experience of their lives as a woman. Through years of research, it became clear to me that the protocols imposed on women entering the U.S. hospitals are profit-driven and defensive. These practices are not sound science. The efficacy and reliability of medicalized birth is at best questionable and at worst devalues the human birth experience. In retrospect, I, too regret all three Caesarians!

I wish I had known better…

Like me, millions of women each year entirely trust and rely on hospital protocols in the time of their childbirth.

Through haikProject’s lecture series I demonstrate that the routine interventions of obstetrical practices are often times not derived from evidence-based science; in fact, many aspects of mainstream hospital childbirth protocols go against scientific findings, natural laws, and evolutionary development of human body. Some permanently harm the mother and the child.

This is not to say that medical interventions have no place in childbirth; in fact, they can be life-saving! However, these interventions should be used with caution and only in emergencies – not routinely, and certainly not in normal deliveries! Here are some facts to illustrate my point.

In 2010 Amnesty International (AI) issued a report stating that the U.S. deaths from pregnancy and childbirth have doubled in the past 20 years reaching to a scandalous number. While women of color and low income are at higher risk, Larry Cox, the executive director of AI warns that “every woman who is going though pregnancy in this country is at risk.” [i]

According to WHO’s report, the U.S. maternal and infant mortality rates rank as one of the highest among the industrialized world; [ii] 49 other countries have lower birth-related death rates, [iii], [iv] and about 30 other countries have lower infant mortality rates than the U.S.[v], [vi] This is despite the highest per capita spending on health care in the U.S.[vii]

Why is this discrepancy!

While many birth-related deaths result from lack of good medical care, other adverse events are caused by the overuse of childbirth technology. [viii] This is why the WHO has repeatedly urged the U.S. to employ midwife-based system of maternity care.[ix]

Which childbirth practices are safe? Which should be avoided? Which location is best for your own case? We invite you to explore these questions and concerns in our comprehensive on-going lecture series!

Knowledge is the key to happy parenthood. Educate yourself for the well-being of your child! Attend our seminars or call for individual counselling.

Our latest flyer can serve as a quick reference for you and your friends for getting familiar with 5 Crucial Aspects of Childbirth and Childcare.
Click to download or print the PDF

[i] Doubling of maternal deaths in U.S. ‘scandalous,’ rights group says. CNN Health. Available at: http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-12/health/maternal.mortality_1_maternal-deaths-deaths-and-complications-pregnancy?_s=PM:HEALTH
[ii] The World Health Report 2005 – make every mother and child count . Available at: http://www.who.int/whr/2005/en/index.html
[iii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Maternal Mortality—United States, 1982-1996”, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 47.34, 1998.
[iv] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Safe Motherhood, Promoting Health for Women Before, During and After Pregnancy”, 2008. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/NCCDPHP/publications/aag/pdf/drh.pdf
[v] World Health Organization. “The World Health Report: Make Every Mother and Child Count,” 2005. Available at: http://www.who.int.whr/2005/en
[vi] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db09.htm
[vii]  Sakala and Corry, Evidence-Based Maternity Care:10
[viii] Somkins G. Midwifery in the U.S. Mothering 2011, May Available at: http://www.mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/midwifery-in-the-united-states
[ix] Mothering Magazine, Jan/Feb. 1990

The information on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice but is for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information.