Mother in Israel’s Guide to the Polio Vaccine Campaign

Israel lives with constant military threats. Lately we are dealing with an invisible threat, the polio virus, which has crossed our borders via Egypt. Polio was supposed to have been eliminated by now, through aggressive vaccination. One of the most dangerous strains is already extinct. But partly … [Read more...]

Should Orthodox Girls Get Vaccinated against HPV?

Human papilloma virus, or HPV, is spread by sexual contact. The body's immune system usually eliminates the virus, which can cause genital warts and rare cancers in men and women, as well as cervical cancer in women. A new vaccine on the market, sold as Gardasil or Cervarix, protects against some … [Read more...]

Guest Post: Me? Pre-Cancerous?

This a guest post by reader Ruth. Two months ago, four months after giving birth to my second child, I went to the “lady doctor” to get a prescription—to delay producing baby number three if you get my drift! Lovely as they are, we need a gap! It was my first time with this doctor so she told me … [Read more...]

How Can a Doctor Pray for Parnasa (Income)?

According to tradition, at Rosh Hashanah God determines how much income we will earn throughout the year, and we pray that we will have enough for our needs. But how can doctors pray for parnasa? They earn their living because others suffer and need doctors for treatment. The answer: Doctors can … [Read more...]

Israeli Medical Team: Ethical Dilemmas in Haiti Disaster

Image by Getty Images via Daylife The New England Journal of Medicine featured an article by the Israeli medical team that set up a field hospital less than 48 hours after a major earthquake hit Haiti. When there is so much suffering, whom do you help first? Under normal circumstances, triage … [Read more...]

Child Put in Foster Care When Parents Refused to Offer Junk Food

This is for the many parents of children who do not grow according to charts, and have been told over the years to feed formula instead of breastfeeding or to give a child cornflour, Bamba or other high-calorie, low-nutrient food so he will gain weight. The Daily Mail reports on a child put into … [Read more...]

Breastfeeding and Introduction of Solid Foods: New Guidelines from Israel Health Ministry

This week the Israel health ministry issued new guidelines on introduction of complementary foods (solids) to breastfeeding babies. Unfortunately, the media got hold of the information early and published misleading information. There is nothing especially new or radical in the guidelines, which … [Read more...]

Heart Attacks: Are Men from Mars and Women from Venus? Guest Post by Dr. Roy Schwartz

A few weeks ago my friend went to the doctor because of transient pain and shortness of breath. She was hospitalized for a few days, and thank God, all tests came back normal. The doctors explained that they are extra cautious with women because their symptoms of heart disease are atypical. I met … [Read more...]

Agel Pyramid Scheme Exposed

Jameel at the Muqata writes about the multi-level "pyramid" scheme used to market Agel, an overpriced and unproven vitamin supplement. The highest-level marketers have made a lot of money, but hundreds at the bottom will lose their investment unless they can convince enough others to invest and … [Read more...]

Will Seeds Sprout in Microwaved Water? And My Son’s Surprise Experiment

I love to cook with my microwave. Sure, it's possible to manage without it, and there are better ways to defrost food. However, there are environmentally sound reasons for preferring it to conventional cooking: It only heats the moisture in food, so more energy is retained. Microwave cooking … [Read more...]