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Many of our national leaders appear to suffer from some sort of cognitive impairment or other mental disorder. Should they undergo periodic intelligence and mental status testing?

Within the timeframe of the legalization of recreational cannabis, there's been a rise in cannabis “use disorder” and the diagnosis of schizophrenia. It's become a chicken or egg which-came-first problem. A new study suggests cannabis is the gateway, creating 15% of new cases of schizophrenia annually.

Following reports of infant illness last year, the FDA investigated and subsequently issued a warning not to use products manufactured at the Abbott baby food plant. Abbott responded by voluntarily shutting the facility resulting in an acute shortage of baby formula in the US – and rampant hysteria. Given Abbott’s strenuous denial that its products caused harm, one cannot help wondering if this closure was an overreaction or a calculated ploy.

It's a commonly held belief that a full moon brings out the crazies and the craziness. The word "lunatic" – derived from the combination of "luna," or moon, and "atic," meaning “of the kind of” – was first mentioned in a fourth-century Bible. A new study looks at the influence of the moon and some circadian genes on the incidence of suicide. 

For those few of you who don't know, April 8th is Dog Farting Awareness Day. If ACSH doesn't spread awareness of this vital event, our mission is sadly gone. But fear not. If this doesn't get us back on track, then nothing will.

Doulas acting as patient advocates during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care may be a way to address poor health outcomes and health disparities. The evidence is compelling enough to warrant a closer look.

A subset of men is giving up internet porn on the grounds that it's physically and psychologically harmful. Overlooking much of the relevant science, NPR claims this movement promotes "a set of unproven claims" about the benefits of "masturbation abstinence." Let's examine the research NPR chose to ignore.

Oregonians are having second thoughts about their decision to decriminalize drugs three years ago. They blame it for the state’s recent rise in overdose deaths. But a closer look at the data shows that Oregon has fared no worse than other states did when the fentanyl wave breached its borders.

Uh oh. A California company is in all kinds of trouble with the FDA for making unsubstantiated medical claims about its Penile Enlargement Pump and Clitoral Enhancement System. Could there possibly be better reading in preparation for Valentine's Day?

Some people hate Tylenol. Although dentists and surgeons love the drug – especially when laced with ibuprofen – studies show acetaminophen, the generic form of Tylenol, can be a liver toxin. But a sound body of data linking the drug with neurological deficits is wanting. Nevertheless, people are blaming this “modern-day menace” for autism and ADHD – and hundreds of cases claim exposure in utero caused the conditions. What does the court say?

A host of societal problems are associated with social media (SM): Amongst other ills are the dissemination of anti-vax disinformation; being purveyors of anti-Semitic tropes; and fostering narratives resulting in teenage suicide, anxiety, and depression. Until now, host platforms have enjoyed broad protection from legal action –even when dangerous ramifications surface. That may be about to change. 

A recent story from the Associated Press (AP) highlights the many flaws in how we talk about teenage vaping. It's a public health issue that needs to be addressed, but before we can do anything about it, we have to understand the level of risk e-cigarette use actually poses to minors.

Mothers and newborns form special bonds from the moment of initial skin contact, if not from all the life kicking about within them in the last few months of pregnancy. Those bonds also form through eye contact and smell. A new study looks at “maternal chemosignals” in the bonding process.

Those were the words of Christian Dior, who may have recognized a connection between the volatiles around us and our behavior. As a parent and now grandfather, I must agree with my wife; there is something special about sniffing an infant's head. Is it something they release or that we have applied, like baby shampoo? A new study suggests an evolutionary role for the smell of an infant.

Awful parenting advice proliferates across the internet, especially as it relates to caring for a new baby. Here are a few things I've learned in the first few months of fatherhood.

I almost drove off the road listening to an ad from a law firm urging parents with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to be part of a lawsuit suing baby food manufacturers for causing their child’s condition. According to the ad, the question of what causes ASD has been settled and what remains is for parents to get what is owed them from baby food manufacturers that have been hiding the truth from the public for years.   

With respect to COVID, children experience less severe disease but remain transmitters of the infection, especially within their immediate and extended households. Should we vaccinate or not? A new study looks at the demographics of NY City school children receiving the complete (2 shot) initial vaccination.

"Holiday Heart Syndrome" is caused by cardiac arrythmias after indulging in rich, salt-laden foods and alcohol. Avoid it.

If this isn't newsworthy then I don't know what is. At the very least I can promise you that the article is even dumber than the title. Enjoy.

A new report from a Congressional subcommittee concludes "that commercial baby foods contain dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium." While these products inevitably contain tiny quantities of these heavy metals, which are ubiquitous in nature, baby foods generally pose minimal risk to young children.

How do you protect a baby who can't get vaccinated from relatives who won't get vaccinated? Scientific arguments don't work, but proper incentives and boundaries just might. Here's what I've discovered in my first few weeks of parenthood.

Pregnancy and pediatric "advice" comes from all directions when you're a soon-to-be parent, and most of it is scientifically dubious. In part one, I examined the potentially harmful suggestions my wife and I received from friends and family. This time, I'll cover the less deadly but still ridiculous recommendations.

When you have a baby on the way, everybody has "helpful" advice that isn't all that helpful. Most of it, in fact, is downright useless, and some of it is potentially very harmful. We'll start with the latter and revisit the useless in part two of this series.

Could your parents' social circles increase or decrease your lifespan? Are some really born with a “silver spoon” in their mouths?

How does frequent social media use impact our mental health? A recent study attempted to pinpoint the effects of spending hours on Twitter and Facebook, but the inherent difficulty in analyzing human behavior limits our ability to find a precise answer.