Separation From Families Discussed At Birth Forum

Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 13:52

 

 

Prince Albert is the place to be this week for information about babies.

 

The Celebration of Birth forum, hosted by the Northern Health Strategy, is into its second day.

 

Presenters are talking to participants about a number of different issues associated with perinatal care in northern Canada — including midwifery and safe birthing.

 

Sandra Hansen is the mayor of Stony Rapids and a former worker with the Athabasca Health Authority’s maternal unit.

 

She says young mothers from the province’s far north are faced with a variety of challenges when they’re flown down to Prince Albert to give birth.

 

Hansen says foremost among these is distance from their family, noting some mothers are in the city for as long as three weeks.

 

She adds mothers have the right to ask for their baby shortly after birth, and waiting two to three hours to see them is not acceptable.