Topic: Pediatrics Journal

A report in The Ecologist claims that radioactive iodine from the Fukushima disaster caused a 21% increase in congenital hypothyroidism among infants in California. The validity of the study is questioned due to the 5,000-mile distance from the reactor and the reputation of the "Open Journal of Pediatrics." The discussion touches on the business model of pay-to-play academic journals and the lack of similar data from the Chernobyl disaster.

ABC News aired a segment based on a study in the journal *Pediatrics* suggesting that childhood vaccines might reduce the risk of leukemia and brain tumors. The hosts deconstruct the report, noting that it relies on "exciting" headlines while admitting at the very end that a larger study is needed to prove the theory. They characterize the segment as a disguised advertisement for the vaccine industry.