Monday, November 18, 2013

Compulsory pregnancy checks?

The NZ Herald reports:

Up to 90 per cent of pregnant women will have to get an antenatal check within 10 weeks if the Government proceeds with bold recommendations made in a major inquiry into children's health and child abuse.

And how does that requirement get enforced? What happens if they don't? Some women actively avoid confirming a pregnancy in order to stave off lifestyle changes.

 In parts of Auckland, the proportion of women seeing a doctor early in their pregnancy was as low as 16 per cent - a trend described as "Third World" by the inquiry's authors.
Which parts of Auckland would they be? Funny how that's not detailed.

Bold changes were also proposed to reduce the high rate of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, including warning labels on all alcohol products and consideration of higher tax excises.

Oh surprise, surprise. Whack up the price of alcohol for responsible drinkers because morons wilfully ignore their pregnancy and continue to binge.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. You can't make people more responsible by removing their responsibilities.

2 comments:

Eric Crampton said...

And how could they tell the difference between active avoidance and "I didn't even know" claims?

Will have to read the report.

Brendan McNeill said...

Ah, well that would be the North Shore? I say this as a Cantabrian with no knowledge of Auckland demographics.

Lindsay, when we outsource the responsibility for our pregnancy and our well-being to the State, all hope is lost. We are naked, pitiful and blind.