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Now that pharmacies are regularly distributing vaccines, their push to get people in for shots is not entirely in the interest of public health. Rather, often they are betting on the customer picking up something else while in the store. But has this commerce complication made the push for the flu vaccine too early? 

A teething baby tests the sanity of even the calmest parent, causing some to look anywhere for help. However, the FDA cautions that homeopathic teething tablets and gels may be harmful to babies and warns against using them. 

A new non-profit group, The Fed Is Best Foundation, supports feeding newborns with formula in their first few days of life, primarily to reduce the possibility of jaundice and hypoglycemia. Although its message of respecting parents' choices -- no matter what feeding method is used -- is a good one, the proposed link between delayed feeding and autism takes the matter away from science and into the world of speculation.

There's a long history of ridiculous fearmongering -- centering on BPA, MSG, Alar, DDT to name a few -- by environmental activists masquerading as health experts. Today, the whipping boy that takes the brunt of the unfounded chemophobic assault on science is the herbicide glyphosate.

1. The medical testing company Theranos didn't need any more bad news - so it is odd that they went out of their way to find some. Starting on July 21st, we had been trying to put our scientist Dr. Julianna LeMieux in touch with someone - anyone - from the science part of the company, especially after “one of the top 10 medical and technological innovations in 2013” fell from grace so far in so short a time.

A new, genetically engineered drug that counteracts non-coumadin, anti-clotting agents has passed some safety and efficacy tests. If future research confirms the results of a recent study, it may well remove one of the major drawbacks to the use of these newer anti-clotting agents.

There is nothing like a 5,000 percent hike in the price of an old, generic drug to make people furious. There is never a legitimate reason for this. But while people are screaming at drug companies (with reason), there is a lot more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye.

Who comes to the rescue of animal healers when they themselves need healing? According to a recent CDC survey, one in six practicing veterinarians has considered suicide. One veterinarian's insight on the challenges of veterinary. 

Last Monday marked the first debate of of three Clinton-Trump debates. Though no fits of any kind -- coughing or otherwise -- were thrown, the two presidential candidates did throw many jabs, as expected. But when Trump said her Democratic rival "doesn't have the stamina," it eventually led us to this question: Who does have the stamina?

There's no time like the present to do our part, so our team decided to pitch in on the #22KILL push-ups challenge to honor those who serve. 22KILL is a global movement bridging the gap between veterans and civilians to build a community of support.
It wasn't all that pretty, but we did it!
 
To find out more, visit www.22kill.com
 

Our public health system has a very bad habit of fighting the last war. Instead, it's best to prepare for exotic diseases before they become uninvited guests. Will policymakers apply that lesson to another potential troublemaker: Chagas disease?

Since they're still growing, the nutritional requirements of young athletes differ to some extent from those of their more sedentary age-mates. A new review article takes these into account and provides some guidance that should help keep these youngsters active and healthy. Hopefully the habit of regular activity will last into their adult years.

Chess, the eminently cerebral game, is even thought provoking in ways unrelated to the movement of pieces on the board. Can you become a talented or great player simply by practicing relentlessly? Or must one already possess superior, innate intelligence in order to succeed?

Kratom is, in plain terms, an opioid, like codeine or hydrocodone, plus components of a psychoactive drug. For that reason, we applauded the DEA when they decided to make it illegal. Kratom is a drug, whether it is "natural" or not, is irrelevant.

An uptick in catastrophes involving fingers and hands occurs every year as our digits navigate the treacherous time between Halloween and Christmas. Who knew pumpkin carving and opening gifts could be such a minefield? Here's what you need to know.

A closer look at food science reveals that a tax on sugary drinks (such as soda, sports drinks, and tea), a policy being pondered by voters in the San Francisco Bay area, is deeply misguided. We get sugar in our diets from many different sources, some of which we would consider "healthy" foods. 

Jenny McCarthy is at it again, but she's not talking about vaccines anymore. She's moved on to promoting therapies to "cure" autism that are expensive, time consuming, not backed by science and (shocker!) don't work. This woman is a medical menace. 

The FDA has approved the MiniMed 670G system developed by Medtronic. It's a computer algorithm working with a continuous glucose monitor to learn an individual’s insulin needs. Then, it adjusts their insulin pump all day, every day, to keep the lows and highs from becoming too extreme.

We always hear that pediatric and veterinary medicine are similar. But is this true? We often thought there were commonalities, but after becoming a pet parent and experiencing the other side, Dr. Jaime Wells is certain. Let’s journey through the lessons she's learned.

Beer is chemically complex. Many different molecules are responsible for its wide variety of tastes and colors. Some of the least studied are those produced as a result of the Maillard reaction. Famous in kitchens worldwide, this reaction is responsible for the browning of meats and bread that occurs at high temperatures, when amino acids and sugars chemically combine.

With antibiotic resistance a growing threat, scientists are on the hunt for new ways to treat bacterial infections. One of these, called phage therapy, uses a special kind of virus that only infects and kills bacteria.

In March, we talked about the first-ever effective vaccine against genital herpes. Now, there's news of two vaccines that may be as much as 100 times better than that. Although they haven't even entered human clinical trials, there's cause for optimism and here's why.

We thought that our fellow scientists and physicians — our peers — who joined Theranos in order to increase its transparency and communication would be willing to talk about their role on the advisory board, and the developing technology. But, after we tried to engage them, boy were we wrong.

Although organic agriculture and anti-GMO activists pontificate about the poor nutrient availability from conventional foods, a recent study of infant and toddler nutrient intakes suggests that any such concerns are very overblown. Youngsters in the 6 to 23 month age group seem to be getting adequate or more than adequate amounts of most essential nutrient.

Ben & Jerry's wants us to believe that global warming, while catastrophic enough in its own right, could also deprive us of some of our favorite dessert flavors. Immediate action is necessary, the company implores us, or the chocolate, nuts and coffee used as ingredients could vanish from the Earth. By rolling out this disingenuous marketing gimmick the ice cream maker must think its customers are dimwitted rubes with no ability to engage in critical thinking.