Googling for health information is irresistible when you have a question and arent sure where to turn.
Vitamin K shots are one of those, Renee DiRestareports at Wired.
Organizations like theCDCand theAmerican Academy of Pediatricshave web pages that patiently explain this.
If you didnt know, youd think there was a legitimate debate on the topic.
DiResta likens this to a data void, because the real information is scarce.
Im not sure if thats the right metaphor, since the real stuff is out there.
The problem is more that some people have become very passionate about their pet topics.
Try looking up information about the Holocaust some time, or about the second-largest city in Libya.
Before you know it, youre writing a treatise arguing why that information must be definitely true.
So, be especially wary when your searches lead you into these territories:
Vaccines.
They sometimes give their websites and organizations names that sound official.
We all want the best for our babies, but we also want autonomy over our own bodies.
Childbirth is a risky time, medically, but itsalsoan ordeal that most people get through just fine.
Meanwhile, there are a lot of options to choose frommidwife or doctor?
These groups are at war with others who think anything from the natural camp is useless woo.
Specific foods that are good or bad for us.
This topic is a subset of the one above.
I always see it as a red flag when people arevery committedto an idea, and I wonder why.
Sometimes theres a good reason behind it; sometimes theres just a conspiracy theory.
This website is run by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
MedlinePlus, which has information about health conditions, drugs, and supplements.
