Dr Kerryn Phelps, AMA President, Channel 9 Today Show

SMITH: Well, yes, we are sure it's the way to go. We raised the level - this issue at board level on the weekend. And obviously, you know, from last week's show, that we are calling for a national forum because we're very concerned that we can't get hold of appropriate medical information. And, of course, the legal liability issues are becoming very much a thing of today's sport administrators. Having identified the risk, and having called for the forum, you know the question was asked at board level, 'Well, what should we do in the interim?' And, yes, we are getting some flak. We're also getting a lot of support, and we're being overly cautious. But if, at the end of the day, that is the right or wrong thing to do, I think other people will soon tell us.

COMPERE: So who are you trying to protect? Are you trying to protect a player's unborn child or are you trying to protect your association?

SMITH: I don't think we can isolate one from the other. I think we're trying to protect the mothers, the unborn children and, of course, the administrators, not just of our association but of the 620-odd associations that we've got that are affiliated with us around the country.

COMPERE: All right. Kerryn Phelps, Sports Medicine Australia says there are no medical or scientific reasons for a ban. And others are saying it can't be legally enforced. What's the AMA's position on this?

PHELPS: This smacks of heavy-handed administration. And it certainly doesn't have a medical basis. I think we are very, very light on evidence that there is any risk to women playing netball and sports like netball at the early stages of pregnancy, and I think that what this will do is discourage women from disclosing their pregnancies early on. And, unless they have courtside urine tests, I can't see how they're going to be able to tell whether a woman is pregnant or not, particularly in the early stages.

COMPERE: All right. Karen Eustace in Brisbane, let me bring you in here. You're actually still playing netball?

EUSTACE: That's right.

COMPERE: You are pregnant?

EUSTACE: I am - five and a half months.

COMPERE: Five and a half months?

EUSTACE: Yes.

COMPERE: Now, what do you think about all of this?

EUSTACE: I think a complete ban is quite harsh. I don't understand why they can't make it an indemnity clause, even at my level. I only play State league level, but even at my level we sign contracts. I don't understand why there can't be a time limit, perhaps, or an indemnity clause in our contracts. I understand, possibly at an elite level, but definitely a total ban is extremely harsh. I think it puts women back years.

COMPERE: So where does this leave you? I mean, as of this morning, the way I read the interim ban, you're out?

EUSTACE: Yes, I must agree that that's how I take it. And my husband, certainly, rang me yesterday morning in uproar about the whole issue. But I don't think that it's a situation they can tell women what they can do. I think it's really unfair. It's, you know, you can never tell a man that he can't play football for particular reasons. But women aren't going to put themselves in a situation where they're going to put their unborn child, or themselves, at risk. I've a better risk of my airbag going off in my car on the way to work than I do of getting hit in the stomach in a game of netball. Then again, there are different levels, I suppose.

COMPERE: Pam, that's a reasonable point to make, isn't it?

SMITH: Well, I think I'd just say that Karen can't indemnify anybody against the unborn child. So, that's an issue that we have to face as administrators. And, yes, you know, it's a very emotional issue and we're well aware of that. But at the end of the day, you know, we believe that there isn't adequate medical research out there to tell us one way or the other, and that's what we're really after. And we're hoping that'll come out of this forum - that there will be some informed debate - there'll actually be some money put aside to do some appropriate research into the area so that everybody is safe on this, and that's our primary aim.

PHELPS: Steve, we know that there are some sports which are clearly unsafe. There is a lot of evidence in sports medicine about what is and is not safe in pregnancy. And we knot that, for example, skydiving, scuba diving, things like rock climbing, mountain climbing, these are not good ideas to do while you're pregnant.

COMPERE: But, Kerryn, netball is a body contact sport and Karen's five and a half months pregnant.

PHELPS: It's not. It's not a heavy contact or collision sport.

COMPERE: Did you see the game between Australia and New Zealand at the weekend?

PHELPS: Oh, yes, a very exciting sport, but it's not one where you would be expecting to get a lot of - or indeed any hits to the stomach. As Karen said, you'd be much more likely to get hits to the stomach if you were involved in driving your car to work and back, and yet we don't ban pregnant women from driving - yet. Thank goodness. And I think it really does hark back to the days when women were wrapped in cotton wool, unnecessarily. And, in fact, women who remain very active during their pregnancies have better pregnancy outcomes than women who don't remain active.

COMPERE: Pam, how are you going to, I know it's only an interim ban, but how are you going to even enforce that? How do you know, say, turn the clock back five and a half months, Karen's not going to tell a lie and say, 'I'm not pregnant'?

SMITH: Well, obviously we're going to rely on the honesty of some of the players. Because, you're quite right, we can't tell. And it's quite obvious that, at certain stages, some of the players themselves won't even know. But, at the end of the day, we've raised the issue, and now it will then, really, become a choice. We've said that we're very concerned at the lack of research. We're very concerned about the legal ramifications that can be there. And then, you know, if a mother or a pregnant woman goes ahead and decides to play, and hide it, well, then I think they've seriously got to question themselves and the reasons behind what we're doing. And, I really would like to stress that we support the Medical Association. We certainly don't want people to see this issue as they shouldn't be exercising during pregnancy.

There are a range of activities out there that they can do, in consultation with their medical practitioner, and we strongly urge that they do that. All we're asking is until such time as that we're comfortable, as the administrators of the sport, that there's sufficient information for informed decisions to be made, that they choose another level of exercise. And I actually hope that what the outcome of the forum, and the information that comes to hand, is that we are comfortable and we can move ahead and the ban will be lifted.

COMPERE: Karen Eustace in Brisbane, do you sort of get that feeling this morning that your association is telling you how to run your life? And if you could turn that clock back five and a half months, would you be inclined to tell a lie?

EUSTACE: Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, there's always that danger period where your doctor and your obstetrician suggest that you keep it a secret anyway. So I don't understand, I mean, not as many women as you would suspect continue to play through like up to where I am, I suppose. But I'm in a position where I have been quite small, and my obstetrician, all along, has supported me and said that whilst it's something I've always done and I'm feeling fine, and I'm well and fit, that I should continue to do so. I really, I've had black eyes and, you know, torn ligaments and broken bits and pieces, and I can honestly say I've never ever had such a bad hit in my stomach. Well, actually, I can't recall ever having a hit in my stomach that, you know, would in any way endanger the baby.

COMPERE: Okay, we've got to leave it there.

EUSTACE: I mean, obviously, that's general.

COMPERE: Of course. Thank you all for joining us this morning. That's our Health Editor and Federal AMA President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, Netball Australia's Pam Smith, and pregnant player, Karen Eustace.

Ends