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The hazards of breastfeeding
Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen January 8, 2002 Mother’s milk is best for a baby, but it’s not a mother’s only option. The American and Canadian pediatric societies advocate breastfeeding for the first 12 months of life. Health care professionals universally support this recommendation. Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for newborns…
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Bin Wanting Some Food
In his latest video Osama bin Laden appears as a man with health problems. It is difficult to diagnose anyone by his or her picture and this evaluation must be viewed in this speculative context.
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Old friends never die
I remember my first day in my new school grade six class a soft spoken friendly boy who sat behind me tapped my shoulder and introduced himself. It is one of those times in one’s life that you remember as if it was yesterday. From this blossomed a true friendship. We quickly became the best…
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This Drug's For You
In Ontario there are two drug programs designed to reduce the burden of medication costs: The Ontario Drug Benefit Program (ODB) and the Trillium Drug Program (TDP). The ODB covers the cost of medications for seniors, welfare recipients and the disabled. The TDP, a co-payment plan varies with an individual’s or family’s income.
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The Birthday Present
Erica (not her real name),16 years old, dropped in to the high school clinic. She announced she had been having bouts of depression for about a year since beginning high school. Her parents were arguing daily and she feared they were heading for a divorce. She felt powerless to stop them.
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I'll Trade You Two Staphs for a Lactobacilli
Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen, November 27, 2001 In 1674 Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek, through his new invention, the microscope, looked at his own saliva. His discovery of an unseen world teeming with life led to the development of microbiology. It has also led to the now modern neuroses that “all germs are evil”.
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Chickenpox Vaccine is Effective
A recent article about parents holding chickenpox parties to intentionally infect their children perpetuates the popular misconception that chickenpox is a benign disease. One of the parents said: “It’s a natural way to deal with the problem, instead of introducing more chemicals into kids.” She was concerned about whether it provided lifelong immunity and erroneously…
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Fighting Back Against the "Silent Disease"
Cancer of the colon and rectum, a leading cause of death in western society, is not as freely discussed as other more visible cancers. It usually spreads to the lung and liver, causing tremendous suffering and pain.
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Salem Revisited
Our child protection laws are designed to protect the defenseless. Those that are responsible for enforcing these laws have a difficult job to do. This is made even moreso by a flawed complaints process.
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