by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

News about the octuplets birth is still coming out–and it still bothers me.  Why would any health-care provider give fertility treatment to a single mother who already has six children?

This is what happens when moral and ethical judgments go out the window.  She asked, she is entitled, she received.  If health-care professionals cannot handle responsibility like this, what are we getting ourselves into with genetic engineering and beyond?

On the other hand, when do we draw the line?  Who are we to judge?

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Our second most popular Web site article is our abortion debate, “When Does Life Begin?” I doubt if this will be a big issue in the new Obama administration, but it will continue in the hearts and minds of many.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Consumers Union is upset with the FDA, calling for an overhaul of the agency.

Consumers Union, which publishes the popular Consumer Reports magazine, describes itself as “an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves.” I have always found them to be just that.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Vaccinating an expectant mom also vaccinates the baby–for the first six months of its life outside the womb–according to a new study in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

Influenza causes more serious consequences in pregnant women and newborns than in the general public.  It can also lead to birth defects.  So what were the bottom-line findings of the study?

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