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Necrotizing enterocolitis, also known as NEC, is an intestinal disease that can affect newborns in their first week of life and sometimes even as late as at six months of age. Babies who develop this condition will exhibit bloody stools, weakness, and lethargy symptoms. If you suspect your baby has this condition, it's imperative to seek medical help immediately to prevent further complications or death. This guide will outline what NEC is and everything you need to know about it, including whether it impacts older babies. What Causes[...]

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious and sometimes fatal illness that primarily affects babies who are born prematurely. NEC develops when otherwise healthy tissue in a baby’s colon becomes inflamed and damaged, often due to bacterial infections. Early diagnosis is important for long-term health outcomes. The longer a baby suffers from NEC before being diagnosed and undergoing treatment, the more likely they are to develop scarring or narrowing of the bowel that can cause future blockages and gastrointestinal (GI) problems. Malnutrition due to an inability to absorb nutrients,[...]

Formula is a smart, nutritionally sound choice for parents in Hawaii who choose not to or are unable to breastfeed their children. There are many benefits to using formula, including eliminating the need for working moms to pump and making it easier for family and friends to help feed a new baby. Unfortunately, there are rare risks associated with formula use. Newborn infants are susceptible to a gastrointestinal disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). (more…)

The condition known as “Paraquat tongue” may be one of the lesser-known side effects of exposure to the weedkilling chemical paraquat dichloride. Through research, we have gradually become more and more aware of the terrible effects that Paraquat can have on the human body. For the past several decades, increasingly greater attention has been given to the herbicide’s link to Parkinson’s disease. And, more recently, the associations between Paraquat exposure and prenatal defects have come to be acknowledged by the scientific community and the larger public. (more…)

Paraquat is a powerful herbicide that’s currently only approved for commercial use in the United States. It’s several more times more powerful than weed killers like Roundup, which contain glyphosate and are approved for household use, but is also consequently several times more toxic to humans. Paraquat is toxic enough that it can cause death instantly when ingested, but what makes it most dangerous might be the fact that research suggests that any type of exposure—even from just living or working near a farm where the herbicide has[...]