I’m a firm believer in going straight to the source for health and medical information, rather than take as gospel what news organizations say. Reporters necessarily try to “dumb down” and summarize news from the medical and scientific communities so the general public can understand. The result can be misleading and sometimes even inaccurate. If you are concerned about a particular health issue, I urge you to go to reputable, knowledgeable sources for your information.

The media may alert you that a new report or study has been released, but if it’s of interest to you, go to the source they cite and read the report for yourself. There are details, explanations, conclusions, exceptions, etc. that a reporter may overlook or not have time to mention.

News releases, such as those from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, are an example. Note these ares not the original reports either, but summations written by medical professionals for release to the public. Better to read these news releases than some reporter’s interpretation of them. Better still, drill down even further and obtain the full reports. That’s where your doctor gets his or her information.