Critical Thinking...

We always tell families who are newly diagnosed or who have these children who have CDH to be very cautious about what they see out on the Internet.  Often times a study circulates the CDH community that is based upon one study results.  That is not enough.  One studies information may appear to have an answer but the issue is there needs to be more than one to make it conclusive and even then, five may not be enough to verify that indeed there is an answer. 

Recently we saw this story in the news:  Preemies' Survival Rates Improve, But Many Challenges Remain .  Of course, with any medical issue you can say challenges always remain, there is always a risk and there could always be issues still to contend.  Then there was this article that circulated a few days later in the news:  Survival Rate of Extremely Premature Infants Rises which states that the long term issues are not as challenging.  What is a parent to do if they have a baby that is a micro preemie in the NICU right now when they see these two articles?  This is confusing and overwhelming to anyone out there doing research but we must be critical thinkers here.  If it is in the news, it is rare or unusual, otherwise it would not be "news".  Also, always take what you read out there with caution.  Not that it is not true or not fact but it could only be fact or true for that period of time, that instance or in that one study or when pulling curtain statistical information.  This is something that is lacking for most, critical thinking.  We see people forward on information all the time.  Prior to Facebook it was email and the spam type emails we received from Uncle Joe about how they found a cure to cancer.  Now it is crowding our Facebook news feeds.  (If you are on Facebook, for those who are not, out on Google, MSN, Yahoo or if you are still using it AOL.) 

September is Neonatal Intensive Care Awareness Month and we here not only support others knowing about the babies who are treated in NICUs all around the country but have a better understanding of what it is like to be a NICU family. 

Also remember this always, individuals all are different.  We are all unique and how one reacts to a diagnoses or medical issues is not the way we all react to them.  One thing medicine and science can say is that human beings are the variable in everything!