Our parents and grandparents didn’t worry about these fears for a number of reasons: no internet, message boards, television or magazine reports or advertisements selling cures or vaccines or medications to give us the perfect child or keep us from the less-than-perfect child. They didn’t (and still don’t) talk about the imperfections in themselves or their children. Rather, they swept the imperfections under the rug even if it meant a child didn’t get the help and support they needed or they struggled with their own imperfections completely on their own. We’re in a world now, where we share our frustrations, worries and challenges. We’re less embarrassed by the imperfections, though on the flip side of the coin, it means we also worry more about the imperfections that have yet to hit us since we know so much about the imperfections others have experienced.

We’re also in a world where, as parents, we’re OFTEN blamed for the imperfections in our child. If we had “only” done x, y or z, our child could have been saved from whatever imperfection and “good parents would have done x, y or z and what kind of parent are you anyway?”

Doctors sell us this fear with (often inaccurate) prenatal testing offered, and sometimes pushed, with each pregnancy. It starts long before our baby is born, this fear peddling. I think some of it is natural and some of it is very much a great example of good salesmanship on the part of the media and product-offering companies geared to feed of the natural and learned fears of parents everywhere.

A relative had a baby last year after years of trying and several rounds of expensive and draining IVF. This child was so sought after. She then bought the best of everything in baby equipment.

I was more sceptical about the claims of high range baby goods and realised that the cheaper alternatives also had to meet the safety standards. I happily used 2nd hand stuff.

But fear sells.

(Mention of California is bringing out the Chinese in me.)

I could have stay in Minnesota, the subject of a 5th grade report I did while in Oakland Public Schools. Jim and Charlie, nope—-long winters did them in. Still have the parkas; Charlie likes to lie on Jim’s sometimes (it is quite well-padded).

http://www.recoveredautism.com/

The PSA I just heard (I listen to KGO via the Web because I get homesick of California) promoted this as “hope for parents” and someone said something about “comforting” worried expectant parents. (What sort of “Public Service Announcement” it is to announce a film screening with a “donation” expected?)

So, I guess there is nothing to fear! Your child can be “repaired” (okay, “recovered”) if there is a problem.

My parents didn’t have any serious concerns before I was born. Maybe things have changed a lot in 40 years, but clearly we are scaring ourselves way, way too much. Someone is making money from this fear.

I completely agree with Regan on cord blood donation. Why not donate it to someone who definitely needs it rather than wasting money on storing it? Why live under the fear that a family member could get leukemia? A lot of this seems like guilt-tripping parents to me. When a child does need a transfusion of cord blood, are these corporations going to shame parents for not paying exorborent sums to store it?

She works for a media outlet and asks this question? I find the chastisement to be a little self-serving and ironic.