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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Internet Medical Info Can be Sketchy for Expectant Moms

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Thursday, February 21, 2013   

DES MOINES, Iowa - These days, medical information is as close as a click away, because Iowans can do online research about symptoms of illnesses and medications. But a word of caution comes from Des Moines OB-GYN physician Erik Bedia.

"Pregnant women have to be especially careful, because they are not just diagnosing themselves. Their actions really also affect their baby," he said. "Given that extra need for being certain that the information they have is accurate, they really do need to seek additional assistance, and their physicians are probably the best people to ask."

What worries him most about getting medical information from the Internet is what websites say about medication safety, he said, whether it's a prescription drug or over-the-counter product.

"When women seek answers to their concerns or want to know what medication to take during pregnancy that is considered safe," he said, "there are rankings out there that tell them 'this medication is safe,' or 'this medication is unsafe.' The reality is that a lot of rankings or categories are not necessarily accurate."

A recent study found that the Internet is not a source of reliable information for women making decisions about which prescriptions and over-the-counter medications present the least risk to their babies - or to themselves, he said. The study was published in the January issues of the journals "Pharmacoepidemiology" and "Drug Safety."


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