I read this story, and all I could think of was the Disney Superbowl commercials where the announcer asks the winning quarterback what he’s going to do next, and the quarterback says he’s going to Disney World.
Announcer: Hey, Mrs. Bernstein, your baby was just left profoundly brain injured by your decision to have a homebirth. What are you going to do next?
Mrs. Berstein: I’m going to refuse to vaccinate him!
There are two possible responses to precipitating a death or disaster because of homebirth nonsense: those with a modicum of critical thinking skills ask themselves whether, perhaps, since their beliefs about homebirth turned out to be entirely wrong, their other pseudoscience beliefs might also be wrong. But for those for whom pseudoscience is akin to religious beliefs, and where critical thinking skills are never applied, they just keep believing … and keep putting their innocent child at risk of death because of their own stupidity.
Consider this new thread on Mothering.com, Needing help with my backbone please, in the vaccination forum. mrsbernstein writes:
Due to circumstances that I would change in a heartbeat if I could, my son had severe hypoxia during birth (and subsequent brain injuries). He is currently “delayed” and is almost 10 weeks old…
Our original plan was the Select/Delay. And managed to find a Ped that was/is VERY willing to go along with this AS LONG AS we do the TDap on “schedule.” And my dear babe is “scheduled” to get the Vax on Monday.
Along with the “medical” route of handling my son’s brain trauma, we are also seeking alternative routines of care. One being with our family Chiro who is ADAMANT that we don’t start ANY vaxes until age 2 … and maybe not even then…
I’m so torn as what to do… My gut is saying “NO”. But my mind and family are justifying JUST THIS ONE.
So let’s see if I get this straight, Mrs. Bernstein. Your gut told you to have a homebirth and it left your baby profoundly brain damaged. Now your gut is telling you avoid vaccination and you think you should listen to it??!!
You’ve already hurt your child very badly through your personal beliefs. Here’s a suggestion: please consider that your “gut” is worse than useless, and start educating your brain. And by education, I do not mean researching things on Mothering.com a virtual cesspool of idiotic beliefs and scientific ignorance.
It is IMPOSSIBLE to make an educated decision about vaccination without an education in immunology. You can either choose to listen to someone who does know and understand immunology (a pediatrician) or you can choose among a plethora of charlatans, like chiropractors and homebirth midwives, whose ignorance will hurt and perhaps kill innocent children.
Mrs. Bernstein, you have already made one hideous mistake. Please learn from it:
Your “gut” is not trustworthy. Your MDC friends are not knowledgeable. Your use of alternative practitioners is deadly, and your child has already been profoundly injured by your well meaning ignorance.
You have screwed up in the worst possible way, but you probably didn’t understand that pseudoscience is dangerous. Now you know that it can maim and kill; don’t screw up again.
