[ozmidwifery] ACTOBAC trial

[Jo & Dean Bainbridge]

Yes Julie this has been sent to Jackie and she and I are working with a number of others to get things happening (or not happening as the case may be).  I know the press is a mighty tool but don't feel it is appropriate YET.  I am just very cautious about how the press can manipulate.  All we need is for them to end a story with a doctor in a white coat saying something like "if we don't do this type of research babies will die" or some other type of crap like that! I am urging EVERYONE to write their opinions of how destructive a trial of this type is; how detrimental to women it is and how unnecessary it is.  If you could send them to me I|I will put them with my letter of concern being submitted to the ethics committees involved. cheers Jo Bainbridge founding member CARES SA www.cares-sa.org.au [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone: 08 8388 6918 birth with trust, faith & love... ----- Original Message ----- From: Julie Clarke To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 4:04 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] I am back! Did ya miss me? Dear Jo This is tragic for the women who will undergo a repeat c.section unnecessarily – how cruel. Have you passed this info on to Jackie Mawson as well? I urge you to pass this info on to the press. hug   Julie Clarke Childbirth and Parenting Educator Transition into Parenthood 9 Withybrook Pl Sylvania  NSW  2224 T. (02) 9544 6441 F (02) 9544 9257 M. 0401 265 530 email [EMAIL PROTECTED]   -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Jo & Dean Bainbridge Sent: Monday, 3 February 2003 9:48 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [ozmidwifery] I am back! Did ya miss me?   Hi everyone, I am back with a newly polished soap box and a major thing to be yelling about! I am going to jump straight into it with the stress that I am not going to stay on the list for long (a few weeks perhaps) so you may have to contact me off list for further details. Okay, everyone sitting down???   Guess who is doing an Australian/New Zealand multi-centred study called ACTOBAC A Controlled Trial Of Birth After Caesarean which (wait for it) is a randomised controlled trial involving 2000 women.  The study is being conducted by Professor Caroline Crowther.  It involves women with one previous cs and they will be randomised at 34 weeks.  Those who are designated the vbac option will have mandatory continuous monitoring and all the other woman unfriendly policies imposed on vbacs, inductions or augmentations will not be excluded. The unfortunate women who are allocated to the cs group, if they (inconveniently) go into spontaneous labour they will be given an emergency cs.   How do I know all this??  CARES was contacted after Crowther read my article in Birth Perinatal Issues Journal (Sept 2002) and asked us to make some comments on the trial....we made comments alright!  5 pages worth for starters.  The issues and criticisms are many and varied.  the language used is appalling, the information biased and the methodology dubious.  An then there is the little issue of it being completely unethical!  we got a reply after almost three months with a "thanks for your feed back.  We are proud to announce the trial has been approved for funding".  this is an unacceptable and insulting response to say the least.  we have had no further comment from them.   So how annoyed are you so far?? it gets better.  As this is a long posting as it is, (typical for me huh?) If you want to know more please let me know.  To end this email I will give you the first paragraph from the information pamphlet provided to us by the research team in November: "For someone like yourself who has had a previous caesarean section a decision needs to be made as to whether your baby is best born by allowing a vaginal birth or whether a repeat caesarean section should be undertaken"   and it gets so much better!!!!   hope to hear from interested parties as soon as possible as I am writing to the ethics committees and need as much weight to support our objections.  (ACMI National level would be appreciated if you are listening!)  Remember that this is going to recruiting women from every major women's & children's hospital in every capital city around this country.  cheers for now Jo Bainbridge founding member CARES SA www.cares-sa.org.au [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone: 08 8388 6918 birth with trust, faith & love...