To the moon and back

Exposure to hotter temperatures may cause as many as 25,000 early births in the US every year. As global temperatures continue to consistently increase around the world, new research suggests that this number will rise by the end of the century if proactive measures aren’t taken. Previous evidence suggests that increased heat exposure can increase the delivery risk for pregnant women potentially due to how higher temperatures affect oxytocin, a key hormone in regulating the onset of delivery, or put stress on the cardiovascular system – both of which may induce labor. To determine the risk of early delivery in correlation with warmer temperatures, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles estimated shifts in daily birth rates from counties …

A group of anti-vaxxers is asking the media to stop referring to them as anti-vaxxers (even though that’s literally what they are), and people have been less than enthusiastic in accepting their suggested replacement. This week, the anti-vaxxer group Crazymothers (no, we’re not even remotely kidding) posted the request to their Twitter and Instagram pages.  “Dear Media,” the open letter read. “Please retire the use of the term ‘Anti-vaxxer.’ It is derogatory, inflammatory, and marginalizes both women and their experiences. It is dismissively simplistic, highly offensive and largely false. We politely request that you refer to us as the Vaccine Risk Aware.” People responding to the group were quick to point out that if they were really aware of the risk …