In Expecting Better, Economics Professor Emily Oster bucks the conventional wisdom of standard prenatal care. Her book's title, and her support for early prenatal genetic testing, however, casts an ominous, unspoken shadow. Continue Reading
Search Results for: emily oster
September 5, 2013
Emily Oster’s Expecting Better, Part II: Prenatal Diagnostic Testing, not new, outdated, & incomplete
In her book, Expecting Better, Emily Oster, an economics professor at the University of Chicago, writes about lessons learned while pregnant that run counter to the conventional wisdom about prenatal care. One lesson concerns prenatal genetic testing, specifically invasive diagnostic testing. But Oster's lesson is not news, is outdated, and is incomplete. Continue Reading
September 4, 2013
Emily Oster’s Expecting Better, Part I: Prenatal Screening’s Panicky Reassurance
Emily Oster is an economics professor at the University of Chicago who recently published her take on pregnancy, Expecting Better. In the promotion of the book, along with drinking during pregnancy and bed rest, prenatal testing is one of the highlighted points where Oster's book promises to buck conventional wisdom. Continue Reading
August 20, 2014
Down syndrome prenatal testing should not be a public health prevention program
David A. Savitz, in an editorial commenting on the study showing Down syndrome is disappearing in Victoria, Australia, says prenatal testing should be used to eradicate Down syndrome due to widespread acceptance of selective abortion. He's not quite right. Continue Reading
April 1, 2014
Breaking news: prenatal testing for Down syndrome done right from now on
Prenatal testing for Down syndrome will be done right going forward from today. Continue Reading
December 3, 2013
What to expect when you’re expecting: give the baby some gin?
A recent column collected medical advice written about pregnancy 100 years ago. It serves as a reminder for critical thinking about medical recommendations for pregnant moms. Continue Reading
News
This page features a running list of news items with or without brief commentary. You are invited to share those items that you find interesting with me by tweeting them to [at]MarkWLeach, or submit a comment anywhere on the blog with a link to the news Continue Reading
December 3, 2012
A Review of Andrew Solomon’s New Book: Far from [what] tree?
Andrew Solomon's new book, "Far From the Tree," has been receiving a lot of coverage lately--and deservedly so. But, his final assessment begs the question: "Far from what tree?" Solomon's title sums up the contents of his weighty tome. Ten of the twelve chapters are devoted to a single condition each, e.g. Chapter 2, Deaf, Ch. 5, Autism, Ch. 11, Transgender. The title comes from Solomon's assessment that children born with differing conditions than their parents are in some fundamental way Continue Reading
Recent Comments