Image: bingngu93 from Pixabay by Ranjini (Rini) Ghosh When it comes to safe infant feeding, the “Breast-is-Best” mantra is the standard in hospitals, from prenatal education sessions and through the postpartum hospital stay and beyond. It’s based on guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization that infants be exclusively breastfed … Continue reading Safe Infant Feeding: Parents Aren’t Getting The Information They Need
Category: Risk
SciMoms COVID FAQs: Who is at high-risk for COVID-19?
In this series of COVID FAQs, the SciMoms answer your frequently asked questions about the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic. For our third FAQ, we focus on high-risk groups for COVID-19. Defining risk: it's not about you Risk is a population-based measure, which means it doesn’t necessarily apply to every individual in that population. Since … Continue reading SciMoms COVID FAQs: Who is at high-risk for COVID-19?
SciMoms COVID FAQs: How does COVID-19 spread?
In this post, SciMoms answer frequently asked questions about how COVID-19 spreads.
Reducing the Risk of Food Allergies, Starting With Baby’s First Foods
Visual: Pixabay user stevepb If you’ve had a baby in the last few years, you may have been confused about when, exactly, to introduce common allergenic foods, like peanuts, cow’s milk, eggs, and shellfish. You may have heard that delaying these foods beyond one year of age can help prevent food allergies. The American Academy … Continue reading Reducing the Risk of Food Allergies, Starting With Baby’s First Foods
Ask SciMoms: Should I use talcum or baby powder?
This post reviews the risk of talcum powder use, and provides statements from medical groups on the safety of this material.
Babies Need The Hepatitis B Vaccine, And Here’s Why
Many parents, even those who vaccinate against other diseases, wonder why their newborn baby could possibly need the hep B vaccine. But public health agencies around the world agree: babies do need the hepatitis B vaccine. This article explains why.
Coronavirus Shows We Still Suck At Assessing Risk
I was really looking forward to co-chairing a session at the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting this year. The organizers wisely canceled the meeting due to the one risk on everyone's mind these days: coronavirus. My talk? “Communicating Risk in a (Mis)information-filled World,” in which I explore how errors in risk perception lead to public … Continue reading Coronavirus Shows We Still Suck At Assessing Risk
Are we worried about flame retardants?
When I was pregnant with my first child in 2008, the nurse who taught our pregnancy class recommended that we use Dreft detergent. One of her reasons was that they don’t strip clothes of their flame retardants. At which point, I raised my hand and asked, “but don’t we want to avoid flame-retardant exposures?” Consider … Continue reading Are we worried about flame retardants?
The anti-vaccine movement isn’t about evidence. It’s about trust.
Many parents are wary of vaccines due to understandable concerns about our healthcare. However, these concerns should not give parents a blank check to avoid vaccinating. This post explores why.
A Guide to Washing Produce
This post focuses on the importance of washing produce, recommended methods to wash fruits and vegetables, the safety of food wax, and whether cleaning solutions are needed to wash fruits and vegetables.