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Howard G. Smith, M.D. is a former radio medical editor and talk show host in the Boston Metro area. His "Medical Minute" of health and wellness news and commentary was a regular weekday feature on WBZ-AM, WRKO-AM, and WMRE-AM. His popular two-way talk show, Dr. Howard Smith OnCall, was regularly heard Sunday morning and middays on WBZ.

Dr. Smith has adopted audio and video podcasting as conduits for HEALTH NEWS YOU SHOULD USE. Based on the latest medical, health, and wellness literature these reports provide practical information you can use to keep yourself and your family healthy. Many reports have video versions, and Dr. Smith’s YouTube Channel may be found at: http://bit.ly/2rNw6XQ

Trained at Harvard Medical School and a long-time faculty member at Boston Children’s Hospital, he practiced Pediatric Otolaryngology for 40 years in Boston, Southern California, and in central Connecticut.  He is now based in New York City.

If you have questions or suggestions about this content, please email the doctor at drhowardsmith.reports@gmail.com or leave him a message at 516-778-8864.  His website is: www.drhowardsmith.com.

Please note that the news, views, commentary, and opinions that Dr. Smith provides are for informational purposes only. Any changes that you or members of your family contemplate making to lifestyle, diet, medications, or medical therapy should always be discussed beforehand with personal physicians who have been supervising your care.

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  2. Pregnancy Infections May Trigger Autism and Depression

Pregnancy Infections May Trigger Autism and Depression

Mar 15, 2019

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/oThU1o302_w

Children of mothers who suffered a serious infection during pregnancy have a higher risk of autism and depression.  This is the result of a study looking at some 1.8 million Swedish children that was just published in JAMA Psychiatry.

For those mothers who required inpatient therapy for infection during their pregnancies,  their children had a 79% higher risk of autism and a 24% higher risk of depression.  There was no higher risk of other psychiatric problems including bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

This study only demonstrates an association without explaining why it happens.  It is a powerful reminder that women and their partners during the childbearing years should be fully vaccinated against all infections.  It is ironic that anti-vaxxer pregnant women may be giving birth to children at higher risk for autism.

#Maternalinfection #vaccination #autism #depression

Benjamin J. S. al-Haddad, Bo Jacobsson, Shilpi Chabra, Dominika Modzelewska, Erin M. Olson, Raphael Bernier, Daniel A. Enquobahrie, Henrik Hagberg, Svante Östling, Lakshmi Rajagopal, Kristina M. Adams Waldorf, Verena Sengpiel. Long-term Risk of Neuropsychiatric Disease After Exposure to Infection In Utero. JAMA Psychiatry, 2019; DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0029