Recently, emergency contraceptives have been at the center of the debate as to whether employers must cover contraception under their health insurance plans. Under the Affordable Care Act, which covers preventive care, non-exempt employers must cover the morning-after pill (Plan B) and the week-after pill (ella) for their employees. Some companies don’t want to follow this requirement because they claim that these drugs cause abortions.

Do you follow your doctor’s orders?  According to a new study, many new moms may be feeding their babies solid foods too soon – and sometimes they’re just following their doctors’ advice.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies should not begin consuming solids until they are at least six months old.  But a newly released study in Pediatrics found that almost all of the new mothers surveyed (almost 93%) introduced solid food before six months, and half of these women said it was because their pediatrician told them it was time to introduce solid food.  Click here for the full story on NBC News Vitals.

In May, 2013,  the American College of Gastroenterology has published new guidelines for diagnosing and managing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).   Dr. Lauren B. Gerson from Stanford University School of Medicine, California, a member of the guidelines panel, highlighted six areas where the guidelines changed since the 2005 version:

1) Weight loss,  bed elevation (for patients with nocturnal GERD symptoms), is an effective lifestyle measure.  Avoidance of foods thought to provoke reflux is not routinely advised.