Alright…we need to talk. Those of you who know me personally or follow my blog are aware that I don’t shy away from controversial topics, and that I don’t have a problem speaking my mind. I try to do it in a respectful, informative, and somewhat humorous way. But I saw something this morning … Read more
In a recent post, I described a study that would settle any lingering doubts about vaccine safety or effectiveness. There were a few practical issues, not the least of which was that it would be despicably unethical because it would involve children dying from preventable diseases. It would also take decades, cost an insane amount … Read more
One evening this past week, after my wife finished feeding our 5-week-old daughter, I took over baby duty. I sat her up on my lap and gave her a few thumps on the back. Not hard enough to hurt, obviously, but just to make her burp. She didn’t burp. So I gave her a … Read more
This is an extensive list of commercial infant formulas, along with a brief description of each. This list is meant to be used in conjunction with A Formula for Success: The Ultimate Guide to Infant Formulas. If you haven’t read it yet, please do; this list will be confusing if you don’t. Unless otherwise noted, all formulas … Read more
I recently attended (and live-tweeted) an integrative medicine conference called “Get Your Life Back NOW!” held in Orlando, FL on November 3-4, 2017. There were actually three separate but related events that weekend: a conference for medical professionals, a conference for the general public, and a $350-per-plate gala called Doctors Who Rock in honor of the “game changers of the … Read more
I used to try to avoid vaccine arguments. It’s the single most passionately-defended topic in pediatrics; that’s one thing we can all agree on, whether you’re anti-vax or anti-anti-vax. And it should be contentious. If kids are dying and you have a way to prevent it, you should be standing on the street corner preaching your heart out. And … Read more
I’ve seen a lot of social media posts or comment threads that say we don’t have any studies to prove that the CDC’s vaccine schedule is safe or effective. As a pediatrician, the first time I read that, I was surprised. But now, I think I understand. I think they mean that we haven’t done … Read more
In a perfect world, kids would never get sick, and they’d never miss a day of school. (Except maybe to do something really awesome.) But it’s not a perfect world. Kids get sick all the time, and they love to share their nasty little germs with everyone around them. It’s not uncommon for children to … Read more
As I prepare to wade into yet another of the hottest debates on the planet, I want to approach this topic rationally. That means isolating the actual science from our feelings about economics and corporate policies. And it also means starting at the very beginning. What’s a gene? DNA has often been called a “genetic … Read more