Media Centre

SOGC in the News

The SOGC recognizes that the media is a primary source of information for Canadians seeking trustworthy health information.

Below is a sample of just some of the recent media coverage that SOGC has appeared in.

December 2011

More men left out while women labour, study finds
Postmedia News, December 13, 2011 - More hospitals are putting expectant fathers in their place — in the waiting room. A new survey suggests fewer hospitals are open to having a woman's partner being present throughout labour.

Delaying cord cutting reduces iron deficiencies, study finds
Globe and Mail, December 4, 2011 - For most obstetricians, the best time to cut the umbilical cord is right after birth. But a large Swedish study has found that waiting at least three minutes before clamping the cord reduces the chances of iron deficiency at four months.

November 2011

Yoga may ease insomnia, menopause problems
Reuters, November 30, 2011 - A couple of yoga sessions a week could help ease sleep problems and other effects of menopause, a small study suggests.

Genesis Fertility Centre Achieves 65% Pregnancy Rate With New Procedure
PRWEB, November 29, 2011 - Study Shows That Transferring One Embryo Improves Birth Rate for IVF Genesis was the first clinic in British Columbia to introduce a formal e- SET program and has now performed more procedures than any clinic in Canada outside of Quebec where the procedure is publically funded and 62% of IVF cycles have e-SET.

Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines Introduced to Canadians
Marketwire, November 25, 2011 - The first pan-Canadian low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines-developed to help Canadians make informed choices about alcohol consumption and to encourage a culture of moderation-were officially released today.

Warning cites fertility drug risk
Postmedia News, November 19, 2011 - Women in Canada undergoing fertility treatments should be aware of a rare but potentially life-threatening complication, according to new guidelines being issued for the nation's doctors.

Abortion rate on the decline, study finds
National Post, November 17, 2011 - After climbing through the 1990s, the number of abortions in Canada has fallen steadily to fewer than 100,000 a year, according to a new study that maps out in detail the first few decades of the country’s legalized-abortion era.

Postponing motherhood places too much faith in reproductive science: Experts
Postmedia News, November 17, 2011 - The growing numbers of women postponing motherhood are placing too much blind faith in science to help them conceive when they're ready to have a baby.

Don't Wait For Pregnancy, Say OB/GYNs
Canadian Press, November 16, 2011 - New guidance from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is warning Canadian women against postponing pregnancy for too long.

Why you should get your mojo running
Postmedia News, November 14, 2011 - Regular sex has been linked to good health and longevity. It's why Ottawa sex therapist Sue McGarvie decided to run a libido boot camp

New pregnancy book takes controversial stand on alcohol
parentcentral.ca, November 8, 2011 - There’s a lot to love about Jena Pincott’s new book, Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?

Evidence of blood-clot risk builds for newer oral contraceptives
Globe and Mail, November 7, 2011 - The future of two of the most widely prescribed birth-control pills in Canada may be in question as more evidence is emerging to suggest that they come with higher risks of blood clots than similar older medications.

My sister’s surgery is eight weeks away. Will it be too late?
Globe and Mail, November 6, 2011 - My 47-year-old sister, a mother of three school-aged children, has a golf-ball-sized mass on one ovary, found during an annual ultrasound she has done due to a history of fibroids.

Should Canadian women have the right to on-demand C-sections?
CBC, November 4, 2011 - The phenomenon known as "too posh to push" has taken hold in Britain, where expectant mothers will soon be able to have a government-funded caesarean section as their child's method of birth.

October 2011

The latest on hormone therapy
More.ca, October 2011 - What a difference a decade makes. Back in 2002, following the scary results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), hormone therapy was about as popular as rat poison. The WHI study linked the combination of estrogen and progesterone with higher rates of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and blood clots. But today, many experts are seeing hormone therapy (HT) in a whole new, golden light.

Is extreme exercise okay during pregnancy?
Globe and Mail , October 30, 2011 - Amber Miller didn’t come anywhere close to winning this year’s Chicago Marathon, but she did become the most famous person to run the race. Or perhaps that should be infamous?

National pap test campaign targets cervical cancer
Orangeville Citizen, October 27, 2011 - For the third year in a row, the Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) are launching a National Pap Test Campaign during National Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, October 23 to 29.

Healthier moms and babies
Chilliwack Times, October 27, 2011 - In an effort to maintain healthier moms and babies, Chilliwack General Hospital has launched a new public safety program.

Birth is not a crisis
Ottawa Citizen, October 20, 2011 - Nancy Salgueiro is not crazy. She is tired, very busy and extremely happy, like most new mothers. But the Barrhaven’s woman’s decision to live-stream her home birth, which took place early Sunday morning without a hitch, while unconventional, was not irrational.

Managing Your Menopause, Know the Options
CNW, October 17, 2011 - Menopause, a natural part of aging, is an important milestone in a woman's life; however according to a recent survey, Canadian woman tend to suffer needlessly with the symptoms of menopause and not seek help, while they strive to lead healthy and active lifestyles.

Birth control gets a whole new outlook with a video game
QMI Agency, October 13, 2011 - Dr. Edith Guilbert is a member of the SOGC's Contraception Awareness Program Working Group and a senior medical advisor with the Institut national de sane publique du Québec. She says that Birth Control Brigade is a fun game that adults of all ages can play, but the intention is to reach one demographic in particular.

September 2011

IVF clinic defends choice not to treat very obese women
CTV, September 21, 2011 - The head of a fertility clinic in Ottawa is defending its decision to bar heavily obese women from seeking in vitro fertilization.

Exercise guidelines for pregnant women
The Malta Independent Online, September 19, 2011 - A review of current research supports the recommendation that a moderate level of exercise on a regular basis during a low-risk pregnancy has minimal risk for the fetus and beneficial metabolic and cardio respiratory effects for the exercising woman.

New interventions for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Kingston this week, September 18, 2011 - Until the last child is born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, bells will continue to toll around the world at 9:09 a.m. on September 9 to mark International FASD Awareness Day and the importance of abstaining from alcohol during the nine months of pregnancy.

Common painkillers raise risk of miscarriage, birth defects: Université de Montréal study
Gazette, September 6, 2011 - Women know that smoking and drinking during pregnancy will harm their babies, and most stay away from tobacco and alcohol. But when it comes to common painkillers, the kind that fill most home medicine cabinets, few people recognize that these, too, are dangerous to the fetus and may cause heart defects.

Mom wants codeine warning
QMI Agency, September 6, 2011 - Deanna Henderson wants warnings on pain relief drugs with codeine to alert nursing mothers about the potential harm to their babies.

August 2011

Vancouver Sun Women’s Health Supplement
August 2011

Are home births safe?
Macleans.ca - August 26, 2011 - Jon Barrett is accustomed to dealing with anxious mothers-to-be. As chief of maternal-fetal medicine at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, one of the main concerns he hears from patients involves unnecessary medical interventions during delivery.

Fallopian tubes spawn killer cancer
The Gazette, August 26, 2011 - A groundbreaking study by Montreal researchers suggests ovarian cancer actually begins in the Fallopian tubes in healthy women and can be successfully treated before it reaches the ovaries.

B.C.'s childbirth system at risk, UBC researcher warns
Vancouver Sun, August 12, 2011 - When Regan Lal got pregnant after three long years of trying, she was determined to have her baby naturally and chose a midwife as her primary caregiver.

HOW DID THESE BABIES DIE? Miscarriages, heart defects cited
Kamloops This Week, August 1, 2011 - To hear that two families in the Kamloops region are concerned an antidepressant might have contributed to the death of their newborns is not a surprise to one University of British Columbia researcher.

July 2011

Thank this doc for the episiotomy you won’t have
parentcentral.ca, July 6, 2011 - Michael C. Klein has had – and continues to have – a remarkable impact on the lives of mothers and babies around the world.

June 2011

Out in the open
Special to QMI Agency, June 30, 2011 - According to Statistics Canada, the infant mortality rate in Canada in 2006 was five infant deaths for every 1000 live births. Among Canada's on-reserve First Nations communities, however, the infant mortality rate in 2006 was estimated at eight deaths for every 1000 live births.

Women getting drastic surgery below the belt
Parliamentary Bureau, June 29, 2011 - Increasing numbers of women are getting radical plastic surgery on their genitals.

New Facebook game by Canada's gynecologists teaches about sex education
Canadian Press, June 24, 2011 - Sex education in a modern format — but inspired by the age of chivalry — was introduced Friday by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.

New website promotes better sexual health for aboriginal women
Nunatsiaq News, June 23, 2011 - Statistics show Inuit, First Nations and Métis women face a disproportionately high rate of sexually transmitted infections, complications in pregnancy and delivery, as well as sexual violence.

Twins need more frequent ultrasounds: Canadian guidelines
Postmedia News, June 23, 2011 - A woman carrying twins needs more ultrasounds than if she were carrying a single baby, according to new Canadian guidelines published this month.

Why Isn’t there a System of Integrated Maternity Care in Ontario?
HealthyDebate, June 22, 2011 - Midwives provide high quality care for normal, low risk pregnancy and child birth, but provide this care to relatively few women in Ontario. The demand for midwifery services is outstripping capacity.

Obstetricians issue new guideline for ultrasounds when mom is carrying twins
Canadian Press, June 22, 2011 - A new practice guideline for ultrasounds has been unveiled for doctors who are treating women pregnant with twins.

New website aims to help inform aboriginal Canadians on sexual health issues
Canadian Press, June 22, 2011 - Experts behind a new website devoted to aboriginal sexual health hope it will be a culturally relevant tool for a population vulnerable to health issues such as high-risk pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Midwife born to deliver
Toronto Star, June 20, 2011 - Bridget Lynch’s long and winding road to the world’s top midwifery post began almost 37 years ago in an Ottawa hospital bed.

Pauktuutit backs call to create “culturally-safe” care for aboriginal women
Nunatsiaq News, June 19, 2011 - Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, one of five national aboriginal organizations behind a new joint policy statement on the sexual and reproductive health rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and youth, says Inuit women need more culturally-adapted health programs in areas such as counselling, contraception and traditional midwifery.

Reproductive health of indigenous peoples must be protected
Anglican Journal, June 17, 2011- Five national organizations—including aboriginal and health groups--have issued a joint policy statement affirming the sexual and reproductive health rights of indigenous women and youth.

May 2011

Canadian postmenopausal women need to spark the conversation with their doctor about vaginal dryness or pain during intercourse, say survey results
CNW, May 31, 2011- Discussion about vaginal atrophy and its symptoms can lead to effective management of the chronic condition, based on Canadian and international guidelines.

Generic drugs indicated for use in pregnancy…Are they properly tested?
CNW , May 27, 2011- Pregmedic, held its second national symposium in Montréal to discuss Clinically Relevant Pharmacokinetics Changes in Pregnancy and advocate for the revision of Health Canada's regulatory process on bioequivalence study of drugs intended for a vulnerable special population such as pregnant women.

If you're thinking about a C-section, think again
Times Colonist, May 21, 2011- A year ago Sunday, my youngest child, Edward, was born via caesarean section.

Health care when we need it, where we want it
Ottawa Citizen, May 19, 2011- Once the political world settles down following the announcement of a new cabinet and throne speech, Canadians will have to face a few unpleasant facts, one of them that the country's health-care system needs attention and may require something akin to surgery to survive.

Doctors more likely to call for C-section on obese mothers: Study
Postmedia News, May 16, 2011- Canada's obesity crisis is giving birth to a new problem: an increasing number of caesarean sections among obese mothers-to-be.

Childless by choice through sterilization
The Star, May 6, 2011- The medical community is reluctant to offer sterilization procedures to young, unmarried women.

Midwives Across Canada Walking to End Inequalities in Maternal Health
CAM, May 5, 2011- On May 5th 2011, over 400 midwives across Canada are walking with thousands of supporters to mark the International Day of the Midwife.

New moms pop placenta pills
The Star, May 5, 2011- Some people would rather not read about a small but growing number of women who eat their own placentas, the amazing, one-pound organ that forms during pregnancy to feed the baby and is expelled from the uterus after birth.

April 2011

Critics doubt benefits for women up to age 45
Montreal Gazette, April 27, 2011- Health Canada's decision to approve the Gardasil vaccine for women up to the age of 45 has renewed the debate about the purported benefits of the shots and whether they might even be necessary.

New birth-control pills can triple the risk of blood clots
Globe and Mail, April 21, 2011- André Lalonde, vice-president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, said the new research would be examined carefully, but cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

Meta-analysis Provides Fresh Evidence on the Clinical Effectiveness of Elective Single Embryo Transfer
IVF News. Direct!, April 6, 2011- Results from a new meta-analysis have reiterated the advantages and effectiveness of elective single embryo transfer (eSET), in comparison to double embryo transfer (DET), with a significant reduction in the multiple birth rate.

March 2011

National cord blood bank to get $48M
CBC News, March 14, 2011- Canada's first national umbilical cord blood bank is expected to get underway in 2013 with $48 million in government funding through this decade.

"Do it yourself" births prompt alarm
CMAJ, March 8, 2011- A growing number of women are choosing to give birth without the assistance of doctors or midwives, provoked by dissatisfaction with modern obstetric care, fear of unnecessary medical intervention and a desire to reclaim birth as a private, natural act.

Women’s Day event raises $30,000 for maternal health
Ottawa Citizen, March 8, 2011- A room full of powerful women marked the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on Tuesday by raising money for local and international agencies working to improve health care for expectant mothers and their babies.

Same old won't help young Canadians
Winnipeg Free Press, March 7, 2011- After years of isolation in the wings, angry young people are storming onto centre stage.

Minister Oda Announces Canada's Continued Support for Haiti
Government of Canada, March 2, 2011- The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, reinforced Canada's commitment to Haiti and announced support for 15 new reconstruction and recovery initiatives.

February 2011

HRT: Round Two
Homemakers.com, February/March 2011 - It' s been 10 years since a major study scared women away from using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to manage menopausal symptoms. But new research and treatment methods are bringing HRT back into play.

Bottoms Up?
Glow, February/March 2011- Caffeine intake suring pregnancy.

Folic acid: Doctors at odds over benefits, risks
The Globe and Mail, February 21, 2011- Emerging evidence suggesting a link between high consumption of folic acid and increased cancer risk is igniting debate among factions of the medical community who fear that either giving the issue attention, or ignoring it completely, will lead to public harm.

Questioning the Need for Routine Pelvic Exam
The Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2011- Of all the indignities that women endure in their lives, one of the most dreaded is the routine pelvic exam.

Bio-identical hormone therapy raising flags
CBC News, February 11, 2011- Some doctors in Canada are warning women that they are courting risks they may not even be aware of when they turn to bio-identical hormone replacement therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause.

January 2011

Maternal health begins at home
Ottawa Citizen, January 28, 2011 - A year after he put the issue on the international agenda in Davos, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was back in Switzerland this week describing the "wave of hope" that improvements in maternal health will bring to the developing world.

Use of antidepressant to treat hot flashes raises concern
Postmedia News, January 18, 2011 - First came the fallout from hormones. Now alarms are being raised about a new treatment for menopause: mood-altering drugs. With enthusiasm for hormones cooling, doctors are increasingly experimenting with antidepressants for hot flashes.

Doctors fear 'pill scare' arising from birth control class-action
Postmedia News, January 7, 2011 - Two birth control pills targeted in class-action lawsuits in Canada pose no greater risk of blood clots than other oral contraceptives, says a national doctors group that worries a "pill scare" could lead to panic stopping of the pill and unwanted pregnancies.

December 2010

C-section births hit record in U.S.
CBC News, December 20, 2010 - Caesarean sections accounted for a record of nearly one-third of births in the U.S. in 2008, according to a new report.

November 2010

It takes a village
Ottawa Citizen, November 27, 2010 - A revolution in maternity care in Canada's Far North is changing the way babies are delivered around the world.

Last Updated December 15, 2011