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I’m Sorry, Black Mother
The woman had tried to flush her baby down the toilet in a motel. She deserved my ire. I immediately dismissed her as less-than for not, at least, leaving the baby in a warm blanket. Why try to kill him-- a near-term boy who probably cried as he hit the cold toilet...
Home Births
I cringe at the mere mention of the words Home Birth. As much as I don't want to offend the exceptional nurse midwives who provide this approach, and do not want to belittle the exercise of self-determination by mothers who choose this route, I worry about the risk....
Pregnant With The Flu:One Story
When we met it never occurred to me that she was going to die. But I can still hear the sound of her ribs crack with each chest compression. Sometimes I get a flash image of her unattended arm sliding off the bed alongside a swath of brown hair. Mary was dead. It was...
Zika vs DEET
Avoiding mosquito bites offers the best protection against Zika virus. Use DEET. But, you should know that this insect repellant is absorbed through the skin. DEET crosses the placenta. This compound will get into the babies bloodstream. But, DEET has never been shown...
What You Can Do to Avoid a Cesarean
Cesarean births dates back to the sixteenth century. Its use, then and now, has saved the lives of countless babies and mothers. But now, one in three babies are delivered via cesarean-section. What one hospital is doing to reduce the number of cesareans was printed...
A Happy Doctor Saves Lives
A happy doctor will practice better medicine. TheBMJ published a study this month, which highlights the problem or poor staffing on weekends. This can lead to worse outcomes for mothers and babies who deliver on the weekends. This did not surprise me at all. In part,...