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INCENTIVES FOR C-SECTION QUESTIONED. "The number of C-sections performed has grown, for example, a fourfold increase from 1971 to 1991 ... This may be accredited to the improved technology in detecting prebirth distress. Malpractice has been looked into because of the rapid increase. Some argue the higher costs of C-section births compared to regular births make physicians quicker to recommend surgery." http://lnkd.in/dUNe4MM View in LinkedIn

SIGNIFICANT USE of rBST POST-LAUNCH. "From 2000-2005 the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) survey of dairy producers found that about 17% of producers used rBST." http://lnkd.in/bc36Qsd View in LinkedIn

RISE IN CAESARIAN SECTIONS. "The rate has risen to 46% in China and to levels of 25% and above in many Asian, European and Latin American countries. The rate has increased in the United States, to 33% of all births in 2012, up from 21% in 1996. Across Europe, there are differences between countries: in Italy the Caesarean section rate is 40%, while in the Nordic countries it is 14%." http://lnkd.in/dUNe4MM View in LinkedIn

DIFFERING OPINIONS. The FDA, WHO, ADA, and NIH "have independently stated that dairy products and meat from BST-treated cows are safe for human consumption. A European Union report ... states that its usage often results in "severe and unnecessary pain, suffering and distress" for cows, "associated with serious mastitis, foot disorders and some reproductive problems". http://lnkd.in/bc36Qsd View in LinkedIn

STRESS IN DAIRY COWS. "There is substantial evidence that fertility of the modern dairy cow is getting lower with increasing milk yields. Our inability to appropriately feed and house high-yielding cows is leading to increased stress and thus a failure to meet genetic potential for yield and fertility." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2854809/ View in LinkedIn

SHORT DURATION BEFORE WITHDRAWAL. rBGH (rBST) was approved for Monsanto for commercial use by the FDA (in 1993), and in other countries, but "rBST has not been allowed on the market in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel or the European Union since 2000. Part of the heated controversy was around labeling. http://lnkd.in/bc36Qsd View in LinkedIn

ESTROUS MANIPULATION followed by artificial insemination in the majority of food animals is a highly artificial state designed for farming efficiency. Despite having created a situation far from that in nature, there is a silence in the literature regarding any negatives about this practice, excepting stress and diminished fertility. View in LinkedIn

WHY rBGH WAS USED IN CATTLE: rBST administration increases the amount and duration of milk production in dairy cows by up regulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF). http://lnkd.in/bc36Qsd View in LinkedIn

EFFICIENT ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION "Estrous synchronisation enables the farmer to reduce costs ... of AI. Concentrated calving and uniform weaning saves time and is cheaper than having individual cows in heat throughout the year." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrous_synchronization View in LinkedIn

SYNCHRONIZED ESTROUS CYCLES in farm animals is used to make artificial insemination more efficient for the farmer. "There are three primary groups of products used to synchronize estrus or ovulation in beef cattle: prostaglandins, progestins, and gonadotropins." http://beef.unl.edu/learning/estrussynch.shtml View in LinkedIn