So a man with a lot of experience in women having babies
has stated that he thinks women having babies older is more risky, a fact that is backed up by the evidence, and yet he shouldn't be using his title, that of "women having babies doctor", despite this making him better placed than most to form such an opinion?
(Bazongaloid, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 11:53, 2 replies, latest was 14 years ago)

I think it's more the smugness
of someone who is never going to have that particular issue, and who hasn't taken into account that plenty of older women are absolutely fine, and that everything in life bears certain risks. Would he rather a forty year old women who wants a child and is prepared for it, has it, or a sixteen year old who might be better physically, but in nearly every other respect is a poorer choice?
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 11:56, Reply)

I imagine he almost certainly does take into account the women who are okay
but what he's said is that of older women that come in having babies, more of them have problems than the younger women, again this is actually born out by evidence. So his opinion, based on this evidence, is that waiting to have kids and putting both you and your baby at risk, is selfish.

And to suggest that only someone who is a woman who is in that situation is allowed to have the opinion that it is either good or bad and that anyone else venturing such an opinion is "smug" is a bit ridiculous.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 12:04, Reply)

I don't want children at any age
so I'm not affected by it, but I find his judgement offensive, especially the selfish comment. As I said there are risks to everything, and people are entitled to take those risks.
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 12:12, Reply)

They are indeed entitled to take risks should they choose to, but in taking those risks they can still be selfish.
Or do you think that everyone should be able to do anything they want to, without any concern for how their actions may affect someone else?

Oh, hang on, you're a tory, you do think that.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 12:15, Reply)

Yes . . . and no . . .
He can give whatever opinion he likes.
He also needs to remember what his job entails, and that there is a degree of social responsibility with giving advice about his field.

The "selfish" part of the interview gave me the shits, not his opinion on when to have babies. The judgement passed on an older mother is the wrong part, not the facts he opines...

It would be like me saying "all smokers who don't quit before their surgery are idiots." The science backs up smoking as a risky behaviour, but my judgement of stupidness for smokers is wrong.
( Mrs Legless . . . belongs to, well, you know . . . :), Tue 4 Oct 2011, 11:58, Reply)

It's not wrong at all
Say someone has a family that relies on them, but they are diabetic. They are told that smoking and drinking are worse for them than average people because of their condition, but they continue to do it anyway. That person is being selfish, they are putting themselves before other people who rely on them.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 12:06, Reply)

Yes . . . this is true
but do you think antagonising them and insulting them will lead to a change in behaviour? Nup.
All you'll get is "F*%$ off" - as seems to be the theme of the comments following the original article from a lot of people.


And to be fair, I have referred to someone as an "idiot" for certain lifestyle choices that didn't help his surgery. It was confrontational and probably didn't work for him anyway.
One of the first things medical students are taught (well, way back when I started . . .) is that judgements of patients are off-limits. What I think of someone is irrelevent because my job is to lok after them, even if I don't/agree with them.

Being judgemental of a person clouds clinical judgement . . . you tend to bugger things up when you're not thinking objectively.
( Mrs Legless . . . belongs to, well, you know . . . :), Tue 4 Oct 2011, 12:10, Reply)

So at no point should you ever venture an opinion about public health when asked during an interview?
He's not gone to an individual patient "You're a selfish cunt you are". And I suspect, that as a Doctor he probably wouldn't, for the same reasons you wouldn't, that said I have no evidence that this is true, but you have none the other way either.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 12:19, Reply)

No - because it isn't my/his job to do that . . .
It's not where his training lies, and I'm certainly not involved in public health, so I'm not going to give social commentary even in a subject I know a lot about.
( Mrs Legless . . . belongs to, well, you know . . . :), Tue 4 Oct 2011, 12:27, Reply)

Is he involved in public health?
I don't know, but given you based your comments on an article about an article, I can't imagine you know either.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 12:34, Reply)

No he's not . . .
And as stated before, I received the digest of the article as an email.

He's an obstetrician, admitted to the college in 2005.
No involvement in public health, professor at UWE.
( Mrs Legless . . . belongs to, well, you know . . . :), Tue 4 Oct 2011, 12:39, Reply)