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May 26, 2012

Live birth special criticized in UK

by Adam Finley, posted Oct 7th 2006 6:01PM

rattleTomorrow, the UK's Channel Five will broadcast Five's Birth Night Live, a two-hour special during which one woman will give birth, or so the creators of the program are hoping. This is the first time a live birth will have been captured on British television, but while Channel Five and host Gabby Logan insist they'll remain unobtrusive, the series has caught a lot of flak from experts who insist the mother should be in a calm and unobtrusive environment, a situation they feel is impossible with a camera crew filming every moment. The folks behind the special say they'll withdraw if any problems arise for the mother or child, but that wasn't much assurance to those who feel they shouldn't be there in the first place. Perhaps one of out UK readers can fill me in on this, but I assume the mothers have to give permission before they can appear on camera? Whether or not you agree with this seems like a moot point if the one giving birth has agreed ahead of time.

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Tom Wang

Discovery Health Channel has a done a marathon the past few years where they do live births from 4-5 hospitals around the country for the entire day.

Scary part is that most are cesarean births, so you get the Alien action, rather than the birth canal.

October 09 2006 at 6:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mandy

I think if they did this in the US there would be a number of people up in arms about it, claiming that the mother can give consent but the baby cannot. Personally, I don't think it can be any more obtrusive than the typical US birth, which often has one's entire extended family and two or three video cameras clogging the delivery room.

October 08 2006 at 8:36 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
midwich

"Whether or not you agree with this seems like a moot point if the one giving birth has agreed ahead of time."

You're quite right, but here in the UK it's more of a statist, 'Nanny State' mindset, where it would be natural for some to try and interfere in others' choices, or deny they even have one.

October 08 2006 at 5:34 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Aaron Peck

In 10th grad health class they made us watch a live birth. it scared me for life. But, those crazy British people will put anything on TV.

October 07 2006 at 6:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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