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AFUW-ACT
Inc. March 2010 Meeting Report
Topic: CHILD BIRTH
Speaker: Dr. Cedric Mims
Professor Cedric Mims talked to our group of women graduates on 4th
March about his recently published book “The Story of Childbirth”.
In the last 10 years or so, Cedric has published at least 8 books mostly
on popular medical topics such as “When we die”, “Love
and Old Age” etc. The majority of the books were written following
his retirement in 2000 and as he says “helps to keep the mind
alert”. This fortified with extended daily walks should sustain
him into a fruitful and productive old age!
Cedric’s career following from his medical degree included periods
of medical research work in Uganda, here in Australia at the John Curtin
School of Medical Research from 1957 - 1972.The culmination was a final
stint as Professor of Microbiology at Guy’s Hospital in London.
On his retirement, he and his wife rejoined their family here in Canberra.
In his talk Cedric’s first statement was that he didn’t
propose to talk about childbirth per se -as a man he had never experienced
it. However he emphasized that without childbirth humans would become
extinct and that nowadays modern, pre-natal treatment ensures a successful
birth that is not dangerous for most women. Audience participation was
good and topics of choice such as designer babies and multiple births
received
straightforward and informative answers. Multiple births arise when
there is division at an early stage of the fertilized ovum in pregnant
women. Twins, triplets and larger numbers of babies can be produced
by cell division, fertilization of more than one egg and nowadays by
the implantation of several fertilized eggs following the procedure
of in-vitro fertilization.
The record for the greatest number of babies produced by one woman is
52! To accomplish this in one fertile life span the woman’s genetic
makeup would pre-dispose her to deliver twins, triplets and or larger
numbers of babies at every delivery.
Nowadays procedures like in-vitro fertilization can ensure that “designer
babies” are delivered as required i.e. babies of a certain sex
and babies free from certain inherited diseases. But true designer babies
are the ones with the most desirable features from both parents, or
“foreign” but desirable features, produced by genetic manipulation
of fertilized eggs by scientists. But one could well ask, “Where
will all this end?”
Evolution and Childbirth---- Cedric Mims
Most animals have two sexes, male and female, and the reason is that
at each generation there is a genetic contribution from each parent
to make the new offspring. This means that genes from different sources
can be mixed up to give the genetic variation and ability to adapt to
a changed environment that makes for evolutionary success.
In humans the male continuously produces millions of sperm whereas the
female starts with a mere 450 eggs to last a lifetime, and at the usage
rate of one a month the supply runs out in late middle age to cause
the menopause.
After fertilisation the tiny growing embryo must accomplish two vital
tasks or else it will be washed out through the vagina. First it has
to stick firmly to the uterus wall, and second send an urgent message
to the mother to hold up the next period. The latter is done when the
embryo makes a special structure, the placenta, that as well as its
other functions, secretes the necessary hormonal messengers (whose presence
in urine gives a positive pregnancy test). Because of the way humans
have evolved childbirth has acquired two problems. The upright posture
meant restructuring of the pelvic bones, and the head got larger and
larger. Both mad it less easy for the baby to come down through the
birth canal. Adaptations include the widening of the syphilis pubis
and the ability of the head bones to slide over each other.
Assuming the baby is born alive mother and child face, at least in developing
countries, daunting dangers such as puerperal sepsis, neonatal tetanus,
feeding difficulties. In fact pregnancy and childbirth are beset by
so many dangers that it is a wonder such an ancient reproductive system
is still used.
Finally there are several reasons why the male is the weaker sex:
1. The basic biological sex is female and male characteristics only
appear when the developing embryo
forms a testis, which makes the necessary hormones. Males can be regarded
as an aberration imposed on the
basic female pattern.
2. Males are constitutionally weaker and although slightly more are
born they die easier and earlier.
3. The delivery system for male seed is notoriously unreliable and generally
fails in later life.
4. Male sexuality is more easily diverted or deformed so that nearly
always they are the ones that commit
rape, bestiality, voyeurism, and incest.
5. The female is essential for the feeding and rearing of children.
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