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Did Sarah Palin Endanger the Life of Her Fifth Child? Or is the Swirling Rumor True? Read on...It's One or the Other.

Submitted by BuzzFlash on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 7:46am.

Alerts

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

Here is the Rumor: Okay, It's a Sleazy Rumor that Palin Hid the Alleged Pregnancy of Her Daughter, Down in the Gutter. But This is Certainly a Curious Item from a Texas Paper in April Then, And Almost Inexplicable Considering Palin Allegedly Broke Her Bag of Water in Texas While at a Conference, But Insisted on Flying Back to Alaska to Deliver the Child After Giving a Speech. Now, That's Mighty Curious, Could Have Even Endangered the Child...Well, If It Was Her Child. This is a Real Story from a Real Texas Paper.

Here is the fact from the Texas Ft. Worth Star-Telegram in April:

From Alaskan NBC affiliate KTUU:

Just yesterday, Palin was in Texas at a forum on energy with Texas Gov. Rick Perry and executives from four other states.
The governor's water broke during the energy conference but she stayed and gave a 30-minute speech before boarding an Alaska Airlines plane home to deliver the baby.
Palin gave birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin Friday at 6:30 a.m.
No word on why Palin was so determined to make sure young Trig wasn't born a Texan.

BuzzFlash Question: Okay, we've had a couple of kids and the doctors always said once the bag of water breaks rush to the hospital, don't mosey around. In fact, for our first child, my wife's bag of water broke while shopping for a washing machine at Sears. We called the ob-gyn and were told to get to the hospital right away.

Second of all, we don't believe any airline would knowingly fly a pregnant woman whose bag of water has broken.

Thirdly, delivering a speech and then flying several hours to Alaska to deliver a baby when Palin could have delivered at any number of fine hospitals in Texas is an act of endangering the life of the child.

We don't want to speculate any more on the highly complicated rumor that Palin was "bearding" for her allegedly pregnant daughter (although there is no proof of this except that the daughter was missing from school for several months, allegedly with mono), who some contest actually carried the child to birth. (Women generally get bigger during pregnancy after multiple births and after their 30s, but we saw alleged photos of Sarah Palin in her six month with nary a baby bump.)

So you tell us what you think of this rather odd story from a prominent Texas paper and Alaska television station. Tell us unrelated to the teenage pregnancy rumor. Tell us as a mother or father whether you would have endangered the birth of your child by giving a speech and then rather than entering a hospital, flying home to Alaska to deliver the child after your or your wife's water broke.

Is this respecting the life of the child?

So, we won't regard the rumor as anything but rumor.

Normally, women who are pregnant can fly without much concern, but this was a high-risk flight considering the immediate circumstances.

But Sarah Palin's judgment in regard to the birth of her fifth child is indeed something to question. If she is a "Feminist for Life," why did she choose to endanger her child (who was born with the genetically determined Down's Syndrome)? She, by her own admission, was already feeling contractions. The flight from Dallas to Anchorage is 8 hours.

Can you answer that question?

Please comment.

It sure does get to the issue of judgment.

How many mothers out there would take the same risk for their child and themselves given the same circumstances?

Remember, BuzzFlash is not talking about what might be a scurrilous rumor. We are talking about why Sarah Palin and her husband chose to put their fifth child at risk by not delivering in Texas, delivering a speech, and taking an 8-hour flight home after her bag of water broke. This is not rumor. This is fact.

Also, to those who say that the bag of water breaking doesn't mean imminent birth, Palin left Texas Thursday afternoon and gave birth shortly after getting off the Alaska Airlines flight. That's a big gamble, including potentially for the other passengers who might have to be diverted by a delivery on board, which is fine, except that Palin knew that she was taking a high risk given the circumstances.

Once the bag breaks and contractions begin, you need to be land bound where you can be monitored, not in the air when you don't have to be.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

Additional BuzzFlash Comment Also Posted Below:

BuzzFlash got this response from one reader:

"this has REALLY driven you guys on the left insane. well, more insane than you already are."

Well, no, we are quite common sense in our thinking -- and the decision of Governor Palin AND her husband defies common sense and basic good judgment.

We responded to this reader, who is male:

"if your wife was 44 on her fifth child, knowing it was a down's syndrome baby, would you recommend after her bag of water broke that she give a speech and then fly 8 hours to give birth a couple of hours later, [putting herself and child at risk on the plane, when she could have sought medical attention in Texas, since she delivered within hours after getting off the plane, so this was not a birth that was some days off. (added)]

doubt it

bad judgment

what about the 3 am call

this was a choice that put her life and the life of her unborn child with special needs at risk"

once her bag of water broke or started leaking, the Governor -- at her age and with a previously-known Down's Syndrome delivery -- was at high risk

does one want such a person making 3 am phone call decisions about our lives?

this is not a gender issue. just because you are "pro-life" doesn't mean that you have the judgment to protect life.

her husband is as responsible for this high-risk action as much as was the Governor, but it is the Governor who would be next in line to the presidency -- and that's a scary thought

I've Read This Baby, Trig was also premature

Submitted by rowdyrinny on Tue, 09/09/2008 - 8:01pm.

For whatever reason, I have kinda gotten engrossed with this Palin woman. I don't like the looks of her but that's neither here nor there. What I came upon today is an article dated April 28, 2008. This article states this baby was born early by approximately one month but did weigh 6 lbs. and so many ounces. I have been reading so much on the topic and I also read a reference to her already having a down's child. I saw it one time and haven't found anymore information as to whether this is her second child with down's or not. There are way too many little questions like that and I'm not one to believe everything I read but it doesn't take a genius to see that this whole thing stinks. If she's lying or was intentionally trying to harm her child by her horrid actions in leaving Texas suppossedly in labor, either way I don't want her in charge of my country. We all make mistakes but let's not make the Vice President of the United States the poster child for "Shit Happens". If she isn't lying, she needs to get off the proof and justify herself. If she is lying, she needs to get her ass down off the soap box. You can't trust her now so how can she be trusted to assist in any way in running this country?

PERHAPS SHE WAS TRYING TO KILL HER BABY

Submitted by sdlkj on Sat, 09/06/2008 - 12:18am.

Let's take her at ther word..... Yes, the baby IS hers and not her daughter's (which is what it looks like.) Could it be that she was TRYING to endanger the life of her child, knowing that it was a Down's Syndrom child. Not only did she let the fluid run down her leg, not only did the airlines say that she acted absolutely fine and she did not tell them that she was pregnant, but she acted as if she weren't, she ALSO passed two hospitals to get to the one where she says that she delivered her baby. The hosital, by the way, does not have a record of it. Let's ignore all indicators that the baby's mother was Bristol. What we are left with is that she DID endanger the life of the baby in a big way. MAYBE SHE DID NOT WANT TO HAVE THE BABY. MAYBE SHE WAS TRYING TO KILL HER BABY.

You can "maybe" all day, I

Submitted by DCM on Sat, 09/06/2008 - 11:04pm.

You can "maybe" all day, I know Obama's intention and heart when it comes to a babies life. He sees it as "punishment" (his word) and is perfectly o.k. with killing it however neccessary to sustain his belief. He say's some b.s. about technicality, well, two things: 1, I don't think the dude has got a heart, and that's his excuse 2, even if that were the reason, I'm sorry, but an innoccent childs life is more important to me than a technicality, and I would never in a million years vote for that.

Palin Pregnancy

Submitted by keredaz on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 1:18pm.

Let's see if Bristol actually delivers a baby or somehow she miscarries. Then the problem disappears....NOT. And if Sarah Palin actually was pregnant and delivered a speech, took an 8 hour flight and a long ride to the hospital, did she really want the baby or was she hoping.....too horrible to imagine for a pro-life advocate like her.

is the baby hers

Submitted by 1972camaro on Thu, 09/04/2008 - 5:38pm.

I do understand that it is a rumor but I would like to know the truth. 1. If she did, in fact, fly back to Alaska can't someone employed by the airlines confirm this. 2. If she did, in fact, have the baby in Alaska, where are the medical records? Someone must have access to them. They would be private, but they could release basic details with her signed permission. 3. If she did, in fact, have the baby in Alaska, why doesn't someone provide the birth certificate. Doing these simple tasks could prove it one way or another. someone.... do it!

She Made Her Choice -- Now WE Have to Run With It

Submitted by RachelB on Wed, 09/03/2008 - 12:35pm.

Don't despair if it seems clear to you that of course Governor Palin didn't fly while in labor, endangering her baby's life, because she was never pregnant in the first place. That is the most charitable and kindest thing we can think about her--that she lied rather than endangered a baby. But the facts don't admit any other explanation than one or the other: either child endangerment, or lying about a daughter being pregnant, a common practice everywhere not long ago and quite plausibly still practiced in Alaska.

For whatever reasons, Palin chose the option of sticking with her original story, which was an admission of a crime. When her water broke, Trig Palin, a fully viable and living American citizen by anyone's definition, began to need immediate medical care. His mother and father were directly responsible for giving it to him. A phone call with a GP is not a substitute for a physical exam by an OB/GYN. Governor Palin and the First Dude committed a crime and bragged about it to the news media.

That is not a "personal matter". It is not "private." It is not even a "pregnancy story". It's a crime story. If Governor Palin and the MSM are going to run with the consensus reality that she was not covering up for Bristol, then they must take the consequences: she endangered a baby's life.

Mainstream newscasters are, quite frankly, too stupid to sort through the noise McCain successfully generated. If you google "palin pregnancy" now, you only see Bristol's name. It is OUR duty to make sure this story doesn't die, or else we will have an admitted child endangerer in the second highest position in our country.

Will she ever buckle and come clean? Only if enough buzz is generated to get child protective authorities involved. We have to hold her feet to the fire and make her tell the truth. Either way, it's too horrible to stand.

Keep hitting all the blogs and keep posting the original link to the undisputed facts of the story:

http://startelegram.typepad.com/politex/2008/04/governors-water.html

If we do our jobs right and make sure everyone knows the truth, Nancy Grace should pick this up, it's exactly her kind of story. I can't wait to see her grill Palin if she's stupid enough to agree to an interview.

But it's o.k. to kill a baby

Submitted by DCM on Sat, 09/06/2008 - 10:57pm.

But it's o.k. to kill a baby after it is born just because you do not want it. One thing I have noticed about democrats is that they are so hypocritical. This attack on her is ridiculous, if the media treated obama with the same intensity there wouldn't be a race at this point. It's amazing to me how radical left the media is and the race is still dead even. It just goes to show that people like yourself can slime all you want, the only good it does is getting it off your chest

absurdity ensues

Submitted by jay222 on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 2:12am.

.... not even during the Cinton years, did the level of paranoia rise to the level the left has achieved in the 8 years of bush. Listen to yourselves. So many of you are so sure of the democratic/msm fed caricature that Republicans are evil, corporate lackeys, and blind religious zealots, that confirmation bias sends so many into tailspins of conspiracy theory. Take it from someone who believed a whopper or two in the 90s about Clinton... take the wait and see approach, before spouting off about Rovian plots and the like.

what rovian plot??

Submitted by roooth on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 8:54pm.

What's being talked about here is Palin's fifth birth and how she handled it. Who mentioned Rove? Just you. But, like it or not, what Palin did is way outside the standard of care for pregnant women. Flying in the last weeks of pregnancy is discouraged for normal pregnancies and a disabled child and a 44yr old mom are high risk deliveries. When the water breaks, infection is a very real risk. And Palin didn't just wait for all those hours in her home, she spent them traveling, also increasing the risk of infection and complications. I'm sorry, but what sane woman who really wants her child gets on a cross continental flight after labor has started? (And yes, once the water breaks, the mother is considered to have entered labor.) Maybe Palin didn't really want the child but couldn't admit it because of her very vocal beliefs. She certainly isn't planning on being the one who takes primary care of her infant. For someone who is supposed to be all about the old fashioned family values meme, Sarah is big on talking the talk, but it doesn't look like she's planning on walking the walk. A special needs child has...special needs. They take an inordinate amount of time to care for them. Who's going to be putting in the hours? Not Sarah. Ever notice the hypocritical Right-Wing women who want to preach about how all other women should stay home, have babies, tend to their men, bake cookies made from stolen recipies? They are the loudest voices telling everyone else what to do, in fact they make professional careers of it, some of them get rich doing it. What these women DON'T do, is stay home, have babies, tend to their men, and bake cookies. They are way too busy for that nonsense.

Palin's decision-making

Submitted by rdn on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 1:14pm.

Palin's decision-making regarding her last childbirth is so outrageously flawed that it is truly inconprehensible. It IS so incomprehensible, from the standpoint of what a mother and parent does to protect and nuture her family, that I do NOT believe this childbirth story at all. This story of her postponing a fundamental trip to an appropriate medical facility in order to speak on energy issues describes and highlights behavior that is SO WRONG that it CANNOT be true that she is the mother. THERE CAN BE NO OTHER EXPLANATION, otherwise SHE IS A MONSTER.

Disturbing on so many levels

Submitted by i2x4i on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 1:15am.

There is something very disturbing about this Palin woman. Her ambition is the only thing that seems real--everything else -- the explanation of her family dramas, which are constantly spilling over into her public life, her political history, don't stand up to close scrutiny--like she's making stuff up as she goes along. She's all over the place, a mile wide, but only a quarter inch deep. I just read a book called "The sociopath next door", so it may be skewing my opinion. But I'm wondering what kind of "conscience" it takes to exploit your family for your political ambition and to exploit your elected position for your personal life?

I don't know - this new revelation is too convenient

Submitted by sheepgoat on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 9:02pm.

I wasn't so suspicious of the original rumor as I am now with the surprise announcement of Bristols pregnancy today. It's all too convenient - the investigation in to the original story stopped cold and it provides a cover for secluding Bristol until after the elections - for privacy. It doesn't make sense for a proud prolife politician to hide the fact that she's having a down syndrome baby until the very last (the test is administered at about 4 or 5 months, if I remember right and standard for mothers over 40) The mad dash all the way back to be delivered by a close friend close to home - and near her daughter. I'll believe it when Bristol delivers - in the meantime - I'll note the previous posters suggestion to follow the milk

ignorance about birth

Submitted by katsyfga on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 8:06pm.

the author of this post has it in spades! Quite astounding. Does the author know why doctors want women to rush to the hospital when their water breaks? To make sure there hasn't been an umbilical cord prolapse -- where the cord comes before the baby's head and goes down into the vagina. In my first birth, my water broke before contractions started. Since it was a planned home birth, I called my midwife, and she asked if the baby was still moving (as an indicator that he was still getting plenty of oxygen), which he was; she was unconcerned and asked me to call her back in a few hours or whenever the contractions started. Hardly high-risk. My sister waited for 18 hours for ctx to start after her water broke w/her 3rd, before finally going to the hospital to be induced. The World Health Organization recommends allowing 72 hours from rupture of membranes (ROM) until the birth, provided vaginal exams are kept to a minimum or are not done altogether. I've read numerous stories of women in the US going for days from ROM to birth without a problem. Mrs. Palin had already given birth 4 times before. While every labor may be different for each woman, many women have similar births, so she was probably well aware that she was only in early labor, or the contractions were spaced far apart, and she had plenty of time (after all, even if she "had contractions" while still in Texas, that's quite a bit different from having regular contractions). You say the flight was 8 hours, and the baby was born "within hours" of landing in Alaska. Which means her water had been broken for, what, 12 hours before the baby was born? One of the major risks of the water breaking is infection from vaginal exams. Since she didn't go to a hospital in Texas, she avoided that risk. Besides, they don't start worrying about doctor-induced infection until 24 hours or so post-ROM. I daresay she called her doctor for his opinion. It's possible that the baby would have been born in flight. So? Many women intentionally choose to give birth outside of hospitals, some even intentionally unassisted. It doesn't mean it's automatically high-risk. Women have been having babies for millenia; and the statistics show that when women are healthy, all but a few births per thousand will proceed entirely naturally and end in the birth of a healthy, living baby. The fact that the governor went home to give birth is no surprise to me. Consider the differences -- unknown hospital, whichever doctor is on call, flying home with a newborn just a few days old (and if there were any problems with the baby, having to stay in Texas for possibly weeks in a strange city, strange hospital, strange doctors, no connections, living in a hotel, separated from her other four children and whatever other family were in Alaska), giving birth without any family or friends nearby (perhaps even without her husband)... Or, she could just fly home and proceed with whatever plans she had for birth -- the doctor and hospital of her choice who were familiar with her and her pregnancy and her baby, in the comfort and security of her home state, where her family could be close by.

ignorance about birth

Submitted by Dteacher1 on Wed, 09/03/2008 - 9:36am.

The one fact you left out was that she was prediagnosed with a baby with Down Syndrome. That makes you high risk, period. Couple that with this was her 5th child and over 40, she was definitely high risk. As a father of a child with Down Syndrome let me relate the birth of our child. One of the reasons for being high risk is that there is no way of knowing how the birthing process will effect the baby. Hence why the mother is put on a fetal heart monitor. As contractions occur the heart rate is monitored. In our case the heart rate dropped significantly signifying that our son was in distress. He would not have survived being born like most babies are born. Hence why the doctors delivered him by C-section. So in Palin's case the time element was of little concern but the health of the baby was. There was no way to monitor to see if the baby was fine. Once again the question is if you know you are high risk and of all the complications that can occur with delivering a child with Down Syndrome why would you wait to deliver a speech and then travel eight hours or more to a little town hospital with limited services to deliver your child. What if the child needed immediate heart surgery or other immediate care not available there? The answers range from it wasn't hers to heaven forbid, they were hoping the child wouldn't survive to just plain stupidity. I vote for the latter.

a 5th labor could last only a few hours and...

Submitted by jarnocan on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 5:13pm.

NO BU**SH** Zone This sounds like a logical medical opinion posted in the Charlotte Examiner: "...i.e. going on a plane trip when your membranes are ruptured. Once a woman's membranes rupture (leaking), she should immediately go to the nearest medical emergency facility. If she doesn't she is risking infection for herself and the baby and asphyxia for the baby, as the cord could prolapse and block oxygen to the baby..... Secondly, people with mono don't leave school for five months. I teach in a university and we regularly have students who are absent for 6 -8 weeks with mono. But not 5-8 months. Third, a multigravida (woman with more than one pregnancy)shows very early because her muscles are weakened by multiple pregnancies. They show almost immediately as they don't have the muscle tone they did when they were pregnant for the first time. The pictures of Ms. Palin at 7 months are not those of a pregnant multi-gravida. Sorry, no matter the story, this situation does not make sense physiologically. " I think they are fooling around with the dates and Bristol is likely having her second child. Sad she would get PG while recuperating from... whatever.... so much for strict ABSTINANCE & Creationism :) I guess one leads to the other.

Both Palin's Were Pregnant - Proves Cover-up for VP Quest

Submitted by deVries on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 1:02pm.

It seems the Palin family was in a cover-up about the pregnancies of both Palin and her 17yo daughter. Both were pregnant at the same time. The five month mono was a cover-up of her daughter's pregnancy, probably morning sickness, so Palin's political rise and chances for VP would not be dashed. Palin wanted to be in national politics, she said that on camera, and knew she was a long-shot for VP but was being considered. Had it come-out before she was chosen to be VP that her 17yo daughter was pregnant out of wedlock, then the right-wing religious 'deciders' would have made Palin a non-starter. Palin is a cover-up artist. From Reuters today, Monday: ARLINGTON, VA – Today, Sarah and Todd Palin issued the following statement regarding today’s Reuters story: “We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support. “Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi’s privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates.”

I would take it a step further....

Submitted by artfulhome on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 2:46pm.

This is a whole 'nother level of weird, and I don't buy it. My first thought about all of this was that I couldn't imagine a parent who, having responsibility for a tiny, 4 month old infant with Down Syndrome, would indulge their unwarranted ambition for a post she or he was clearly not qualified for. (I mean, it is not like Governor Palin has some great gift or ability or experience that is vital for the future of the country. Please, Governor, don't sacrifice your sweet child for us! It really isn't necessary!) Now, if this too-convenient teen pregnancy story is true, it compounds my concerns about Gov Palin. She has a teenaged, pregnant daughter, and she wants to thrust HER and this sad situation into the heat of a national campaign? Her instinct is to put her daughter out there (knowing, too, all the rumors that have been circulating in Alaska for MONTHS about her daughter and this baby) in the spotlight, as her condition, literally, grows? Again, I don't buy it. If, as CBS's coverage suggests, this new announcement was made to stop bloggers from speculating about this goofy pregnancy and Texas flight story, all the Palins had to do was show a birth certificate. It's a national political campaign, and candidates really do have to expect and cooperate with all manner of intrusive questions. It's just the way it is. What's the big deal about releasing a birth certificate, anyway? So instead of just showing a birth certificate, or explaining why there is nothing in the published record of the hospital about the birth of Baby Trig, they prefer to make a statement that their young, unmarried daughter is NOW pregnant! Does anyone else find this absolutely outrageous?? It's intrusive to be asked for a birth certificate, but not a problem to expose your daughter's private, sad situation in a public announcement? When there is an alternative? Mark my words--poor Bristol will be out of sight from now on, and about the time of the expected delivery we will hear that the baby was adopted, or lost, and everyone will forget the sordid little family drama we were witness to. I really don't buy it.

Palin Pregnancy Decisions

Submitted by Petrie Dish on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 11:34am.

I would certainly characterize Palin's decision to get on a commercial flight in the face of indications that ANYTHING was happening with her high risk pregnancy as astoundingly incomprehensible and indefensible. I also find it very surprising that any woman/family who purports to feel so strongly about children would choose to keep the pregnancy a secret until a month before the child's birth. But what I really find bizarre is that she accepted this nomination at all. She must be aware of all the rumors that have been swirling around since the child's birth. Maybe 680,000 Alaskans aren't paying attention, but could she possibly have thought that at least that many hungry "journalists" would blow this off as well? If she's as familiar as she claims to be with Geraldine Ferraro's situation, she would know that it took about a nanosecond for the press to pulverize Ferraro based on her husband's financial dealings and, if memory serves, Ferraro was quite humiliated by the inferences. The only conclusion that makes any sense is that Palin is devoid of any level of judgement whatsoever. (Not unike, by the way, the Georgian President Saakashvilli who was apparently persuaded by Karl Rove to start a war with Russia in an attempt to enhance McCain's defense credentials.) This is bizarro world. The interesting part is yet to happen, though. Question: How does McCain take it back? Hmmmm... Is everyone so sure there WILL be an American election in November, 2008?

Precisely my thought on

Submitted by backell on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 7:38am.

Precisely my thought on this. It seems better for her if she's covering for her daughter than if she risked the life of her son. The first can illicit sympathy and understanding, the latter incredulity and shock.

Attempted murder?

Submitted by bettysdad on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 3:24am.

Assume everything Palin says is true. She knew the kid had Down Syndrome. Maybe her behavior was simply an attempt to kill the kid.

Slime!

Submitted by blackjack on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 1:22am.

I say let the SLIMEING begain. I would love to put Sinclair story up against J McCain Known as SONG BIRD by the Vitnames, Rove(TURD BLOSSOM) and his sweet tooth for lets say BOYS, LAWRA BUSH and her leaving BUSH after finding BUSH AND LETS say M's Rice practicing push ups in the White House jim, and Chanie and the FACE SHOOTING, and there is MORE. I say let the Rove (TURD BLOSSOM) guter POLTICKS begin, we have not been sleeping for eight years this time.

looks like bad judgment, not lying about the baby, to me

Submitted by mistah charley phd on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 10:59pm.

mistah charley, ph.d. http://mistahcharley.blogspot.com The suspicious minds who hypothesize that the baby is her grandchild, not her child, are not taking into account the fact that risk of trisomy 21/Down syndrome goes up with maternal age - so it is much more likely that the governor, and not her teenage daughter, is the mother. Our friends at Wikipedia report: "Maternal age influences the chances of conceiving a baby with Down syndrome. At maternal age 20 to 24, the probability is one in 1562; at age 35 to 39 the probability is one in 214, and above age 45 the probability is one in 19."

From the March Dimes. Does

Submitted by rousliny on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 8:11am.

From the March Dimes. Does the risk of Down syndrome increase with the mother's age? Yes. The risk of Down syndrome increases from about 1 in 1,250 at age 25, to 1 in 1,000 at age 30, 1 in 400 at age 35, 1 in 100 at age 40 and 1 in 30 at age 45 (6). Women over age 35 have been traditionally considered most likely to have a baby with Down syndrome. HOWEVER , ABOUT 80 PERCENT of BABIES with DOWN SYNDROME ARE BORN TO WOMEN WHO ARE UNDER AGE 35 (emphasis added), as younger women have far more babies (2). I would trust the March of Dimes site rather than Wikipedia. Case in point, another developing Palin related story. August 30, 2008 8:13 PM PDT Sarah Palin Wikipedia edits--fast and furious http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10029598-38.html There are 3 basic types of Down syndrome: trisomy 21, translocation, and mosaicism. Relationship between prenatal exposure to oral contraceptives (OCs) and Down syndrome .Some studies show a correlation while others are inconclusive. Search Risk Factors + Down's Syndrome

Did Sarah Intentionally endanger her baby?

Submitted by indie green on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 10:00pm.

OK, so Sarah is having her 5th child, and generally, yes, labor is shorter with each, but let's give her the benefit of knowing her own body. Or, let's look at something that hasn't even been spoken of yet. We know for a fact that Sarah is very, very conservative in her view of abortion (not even in the case of rape). Here might be a case of unintended consequences: Holy sh--! I'm 44 and pregnant with a Down Syndrome baby, Gov of Alaska, 4 kids, one in the armed services very likely to be going off to combat, How am I going to deal with a baby at this time in my life let alone a special needs infant? Has anyone given thought that Palin was intentionally taking great risks in the hopes of 'naturally' losing the baby?

subconscious hope that baby would die

Submitted by evangeliar on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 7:51pm.

For religious reasons she couldn't abort the baby. But her actions belie her true desires - for the baby to die. Even after she landed in Alaska she drove past the state's preeminent neo-natal hospital to deliver someplace else. All of her actions show that she wanted the baby to die. How pro-life is that?

John McCain and Sarah Palin

Submitted by raydon on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 9:31pm.

If all the information provided on Ms. Palin is true, then it provides insight into who the person is that John McCain has chosen to be at the helm with him for major decision making strategies affecting We the People of the United States of America in the future. Assuming that John McCain arrived at this decision after careful thought and consideration of his other choices, this choice reveals what we can expect from future John McCain decisions affecting all of us. Ladies, as usual, you are better suited to read the inferred actions of another woman - particularly a pregnant one. As a father of 3 children, I would not want to have the mother of my child risk the birth of my child for any event especially one that is preceded by an 8 hour plane flight. I used to think (still do) that Dick Cheney is the best life insurance policy that President Bush has. I shudder to think what position the United States of America would be in if McCain were elected and died while in office. I would also like to think that any thinking, disgruntled Hillary supporter would be less inclined to switch to McCain after this demonstration of judgment on his part.

Will you believe a stranger or is it any lie to win?

Submitted by gabbyone on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 9:19pm.

Here is a woman who never met Palin.......note her description of Palin.....pregnant. Elizabeth Eubanks of Polar Teachers & Researchers Exploring $ Collaborating (Polar TREC) was waiting to return home when she had a chance meeting with none other than Governor Sarah Palin and her daughter, Piper. Elizabeth had much to say about Palin. Of course I had to check out the “Hottest Governor in the US” and quickly turned to see her pregnant (she has since had her baby) with bags and daughter in tote. Then it struck me as odd. Why is the Governor of Alaska in the airport and preparing to get onto my commercial flight? I questioned PolarTRECer Craig Kasemodel an Alaskan resident. He let me know that Governor Palin sold the corporate jet after securing her official Governor position. Governor Pallin said she would sell the jet because it was impractical and that the Alaska state inventory would be relieved of this dept. The jet was sold on EBay to Larry Reynolds for 2.1 million dollars.

But she had already announced that she was 7 months pregnant!

Submitted by artfulhome on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 9:49pm.

If a person was wanting to make the world believe that she was pregnant even though she wasn't, wouldn't she make herself LOOK pregnant from that point on? I am not saying I believe this rumor, or that I don't, just that the way Governor Palin looked after the time she announced her pregnancy isn't really proof of anything.

Sullivan

Submitted by EmilyTraynor on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 8:35pm.

Has been pounding on this, and he posted the link to the hospital birth records, showing no baby for Sarah Palin on April 18th, it's back up though. Sullivan must have generated so much traffic he crashed the hospital's site. http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/ I don't think this story is going away.

Republicans are experts at exploiting

Submitted by anagitator on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 8:31pm.

and the Democrats are basically wimps. Not being a hard dyed in wool Democrat it has truly disgusted me to see the wimps in charge such as Pelosi and Hoyer and Reid allow Bush and others to trample our Constitution, while Limbaugh and others continue to pummel every Democratic weakness.

I know this kind of talk now isn't the way to win elections but neither is rolling over for 1.5 years by taking impeachment off the table. The country wanted and needed strong leadership from Congress and all it got with Pelosi and Hoyer were two ball-less worthless wonders.

Had Bush been put through the impeachment wringer for a year every bit of corruption and mismanagement could have been exposed for the country to see. Instead he refused to allow his underlings to testify. Impeachment would have denied him that ability.

It appears to me that the Democrats simply don't have the guts or smarts to take on Bush and McCain head on. To compound it Limbaugh is herding the disenfranchised Hillary element around like hogs going to slaughter.

I'm going to vote for Obama because there is no chance I could vote for the Party that gave us Bush and his pathetic record.

Take it easy

Submitted by richlu on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 7:48pm.

After 4 deliveries, a woman knows her body, and how it delivers babies. This seems like a non-issue to me. More important are her beliefs and how people will respond to her. We need to challenge her in substantive matters, and find her weaknesses as a candidate. Then publicize those.

This is a substantive issue

Submitted by backell on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 7:46am.

This is a substantive issue if she elected to take the flight. She may "know her own body" but having four kids, none of them premature and none of them having Down's syndrome does not mean that she was correct in her judgment to take the flight. This says a lot about her judgment and McCain's judgment in picking her.

Yes, and . . . .

Submitted by richlu on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 2:22pm.

I think her positions or anti-choice, creationism, and oil are more alarming, but related to your point. Decision making and judgment. She obviously is confident in her own private views, which she feels free to apply in the public arena where they affect us. Scary.

Hey Karlin

Submitted by EmilyTraynor on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 7:23pm.

http://community.marketwatch.com/groups/us-politics/topics/sarah-palin-pregnancy-cover-up If you scroll all the way down, the original poster of this story is who posted the link to the Medical Center which showed births on each day. I also added another link, to the actual pics of the two babies born on the April 18th when Palin says she gave birth there. Not two hours later, the site has been pulled. I saw it with my own eyes. So did the guy at the above link where it was originally posted.

So was she...

Submitted by VettaKing on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 6:54pm.

leaking all over the floor when she was giving her speech? Did she leave her "bloody show" all over the stage when she walked off? It must have been quite the speech.

It's Palin's Baby & Probably Not a Dangerous Labor-Delivery

Submitted by deVries on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 6:47pm.

The two links explain that Palin was seen as pregnant during a chance encounter, and Palin explains why she thought it was safe to have her fifth child in Alaska. http://www.polartrec.com/node/3944 "There were several of us PolarTRECers waiting in the Fairbanks, AK airport to catch our planes home. We were chatting about all we had learned when Kristen Timm, ARCUS administrator said “ Look, there is the Hottest Governor in the United States” as she has been publicly deemed by media and fans. Of course I had to check out the “Hottest Governor in the US” and quickly turned to see her pregnant (she has since had her baby) with bags and daughter in tote." http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2008/04/alaskan-governo.html Sarah, 44, had her water unexpectedly break (just a slow leak of amniotic fluid, she shared) while attending an energy conference in Texas, but checked in with her doctor, was able to stay, deliver a 30 minute speech, and then get on a plane to return to her home state in time for the delivery (which ended up needing to be induced) early this morning. "I am not a glutton for pain and punishment. I would have never wanted to travel had I been fully engaged in labor. After four kids I knew what labor felt like, and I wasn't in labor." Sarah said that while she did not tell the pilot or flight attendants that she was 36 weeks along, she did not hide her condition either.

I'll tell you what, first of

Submitted by EmilyTraynor on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 7:05pm.

I'll tell you what, first of all the doctor story is babble. She "checked with her doctor"? Please find me any doctor in the United States who would tell a woman whose water had broke to get on an 8 hour flight. That's already been laughed off the stage. As for this picture, it's impossible to tell whether she is or is not pregnant in it. The blogger is the first thing I've seen that even gives any evidence of the "she was pregnant" arugment, I'll give you that. But it's really not much, considering that Palin's "Pregnancy" was already made public by then. So that "the pregnant governor" could have been picked up from the same person she says told her "look there's the hottest governor" rather than being an actual visual observation. Impossible to say. Notice however, Palin certainly does not look like a woman whose water broke, and this blogger makes no mention of her being in labor. Still doesn't pass the smell test.

Really Bad Judgement

Submitted by guappo1 on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 6:34pm.

I have no reason to believe that the child is not Palin's butt her daughters I think until it is proven other wise then we must except her claim. That is not the problem! The story tells me that if Palin lacks the ability to make a sane judgement in a matter like this then what in the hell would she do if she became president. I thought no one was more scary then Mc Cain being president. Now she make McCain look like the sane one.

Birth record

Submitted by EmilyTraynor on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 6:13pm.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/380134.html According to the above news release, Palin gave birth on April 18th, at the mat-su regional medical center. Here's the birth announcements from April, and specifically, April 18th on the mat-su regional medical center website. http://www.matsuregional.com/nursery/show_day.php?date=2008-04-18 http://www.matsuregional.com/nursery/nursery_calendar.php?month=05&year=2008 Of course, there is every possibility the Governor did not want the announcement public. But boy, it's very difficult to find evidence that Palin gave birth to this child, or that she ever even appeared pregnant.

The more I read about

Submitted by left on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 9:47pm.

The more I read about Alaska's politics, I suspect that Trig's actual birth certificate could possibly have been altered in whatever way S Palin wanted. So pressing for certificate is not the answer, although it would give direction to further enquiries--what about pressing the hospital on fact Trig NOT listed as being born on 4/19/08, or on any other day. What went on there?

Palin Baby

Submitted by CSA citizen on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 5:57pm.

I've had MANY babies. Once your water breaks the pains come on MUCH harder readying for DELIVERY, and I have no idea how she was able to give a speech with those pains and having to stand there with her legs crossed to keep the baby inside so it would not be delivered ! Yes it endagers the baby to hold it back from being born. It does brain damage for one thing to hold a baby back from being born for that length of time. And you would HAVE TO HOLD THE BABY BACK BIG TIME after the water breaks - it's called a "dry delivery" and it is more painful then the usual way when the water breaks as you are ON the delivery table ! I won't go into here how this is done to hold the baby back from birthing, but I will say that IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR THE BABY ! The baby could also die because of it! NO one would even think to do such a thing if they really cared about their baby ! Her politics came first and that is not a good sign ! Once the water breaks, that is the signal the birth is about to happen - right then ! Not 8-10 hours later !

Not implausible, just poor judgement

Submitted by jess6 on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 9:55pm.

Your experience is not universal, and is more representative of what happens when the water breaks after labor has already started. Palin's broke prior to labor, which is often a different boat entirely. Many women who have their water break prior to labor don't actually go into heavy labor quickly. This is especially true if it is a slow leak (as was apparently the case with Palin) - these leaks can go on for an extended period of time, and even seal up again. Lack of active labor after the water is broken is a frequent cause of induction and c-section, as many doctors don't want to mess around with the increased risk of infection that accompanies ruptured membranes. Palin's supposed experience is close enough to my own that I don't find it particularly implausible. I didn't show much with either of my babies, and, in both cases, had people surprised to find out I was pregnant at 34 weeks when I wore the wrong clothing. Both babies were born more than 12 hours after my water broke (big gush, not little trickle). With my second, active labor didn't start until over 12 hours after my water broke. I could certainly have given a speech shortly after it happened, taken an 8 hour plane flight, and arrived at the hospital well before the baby was born. But I wouldn't have, even with a full-term baby with no known abnormalities, which wasn't the case here. It's risky for the health of both mother and baby, and incredibly disrespectful towards the airline and everyone on the flight. As far as her judgement goes, I'd rather find out she'd covered for her teenage daughter's pregnancy (assuming no abuse or coercion was involved) than have the official scenario be true.

Follow the Breast Milk!

Submitted by deVries on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 6:50pm.

This will be easy for a reporter to uncover to whom the baby belongs to. Palin has publicly stated she is breast feeding the baby. A breast pump has been mentioned too. From whom is the breast milk coming from? Does Palin have breast milk, or is the breast milk coming from her daughter? Palin's daughter is traveling with the baby now, and this is probably not a normal practice to be on the campaign trail with her baby and 16-17yo daughter. Reporters: FOLLOW THE BREAST MILK. See my post, Subject: It's Palin's Baby & Probably Not a Dangerous Labor-Delivery It's about the fourth one after this post.

Is this Rathergate redux?

Submitted by chimpyissatan on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 5:38pm.

Anyone else remember the TANG situation? The M.O.: discredit the possible source of embarrassing/election ending information to blunt future scandal. Plant something to preempt the impact of impending, inevitable news. Look for a page ten story in a few days that would otherwise be disastrous for Palin. It will fail to rise above the media radar b/c we've blown our wad already and will (by design) have lost credibility with the wider public.

Pailn Bumper Sticker ideas

Submitted by Texas Bird on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 5:36pm.

I have a couple of ideas for bumper stickers, free to whoever likes them and wants to run with this. I will also post this to a couple of Obama lists. [1] "Just Say No to Palin" All the letters would be in blue except for the L in her name. Can you imagine the visual effect? [2] I have a bumper sticker that says "McCain't." When my teenage daughter gave it to me at first I thought it was just a McCain sticker. Very clever design. So my other idea is to combine with this number one. "Stop McCain't-Palin" with the 't & L in red, the rest in blue. Such bumper stickers at first are more apt to make people pause. Ken Mattos aka Texas Bird

Can Users Post Items Directly To BuzzFlash?

Submitted by rapope on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 8:32pm.

I created something down and dirty. I don't know if I can post it here (or better yet, I don't know if I SHOULD post it here). Even though I did it for humor's sake, I will likely get flamed or banned outright from BuzzFlash... I only did the first example you suggested. I can email it to you if you like.

Wow! Great idea.

Submitted by left on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 9:50pm.

Wow! Great idea.

History Mysteriously Updated

Submitted by BBTKnowMore on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 5:17pm.

Hmm, in trying to determine when Palin revealed that the child was a Downs Syndrome baby, I found this article in Boston: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/west/view.bg?articleid=1088213. I find it very interesting that the article appears to have been updated on Friday, the day McCain announced she was his VP pick. Was something cleaned up?

Alaskan Blogs

Submitted by EmilyTraynor on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 5:13pm.

Here is one of the best I've found: http://mudflats.wordpress.com/ The comments themselves are well worth reading, because they seem to be mostly other bloggers. I mean, she is just a total disaster on every level. What were they thinking? After watching this morning's talk shows, I'm truly and deeply outraged that our media is even taking this seriously. YOu have those dopes Cokie and Andrea Mitchell who just seem to be in a swoon over this. Are they crazy? This is OUR COUNTRY we are talking about here. I do not find this remotely funny. Wait till they get a load of "the city" of Wasilla - w hich this blog has a pic of. Jesus Christ. I really feel as if I fell through the rabbit hole. And I'm actually scared because they are going to call any questions about her "sexism". This is crazy.

Wasilla

Submitted by EmilyTraynor on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 5:18pm.

Here is the direct link to "the city" that Palin was mayor of, which constitutes her "experience" along with being in the PTA, before she squeaked herself into the governorship thanks to a completely corrupt Republican Governor who she beat in a primary challenge. It is so true what the President of the Alaska State Senate said - and please note, this was a REPUBLICAN speaking..."she's not qualified to be governor of alaska, never mind vice president". http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/what-is-mccain-thinking-one-alaskans-perspective/

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Did Sarah Palin Endanger the Life of Her Fifth Child? Or is the Swirling Rumor True? Read on...It's One or the Other.

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