Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Rhabdomyolysis Risks, Microplastics, and Social Media's Impact on Teen Mental Health

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Rhabdomyolysis Risks, Microplastics, and Social Media's Impact on Teen Mental Health · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

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  Hello and welcome to another episode of Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow.
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  I'm your host, Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow, and today we'll be diving into a serious yet often overlooked condition that can
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  result from exercise—rhabdomyolysis.
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  This condition recently made headlines when twelve players on the men's lacrosse team at
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  Tufts University in Boston were diagnosed with it following a 45-minute workout led by an alum
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  and former Navy SEAL trainee.
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  Nine of these players were hospitalized but have since been discharged.
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  So, what exactly is rhabdomyolysis, often referred to as 'rhabdo'?
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  According to Dr.
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  Christopher Tanayan, a sports cardiologist at Northwell Health in New York, rhabdomyolysis
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  occurs when muscle cells, known as myocytes, are injured.
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  This injury causes myoglobin, a type of protein, to leak through the cell walls and
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  enter the bloodstream.
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  The presence of myoglobin in the blood can lead to renal tubular obstruction and
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  nephrotoxicity, which is a type of kidney damage.
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  Dr.
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  Tanayan emphasizes that anyone can develop rhabdomyolysis if they do not exercise
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  sensibly.
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  Overexerting yourself without sufficient recovery can cause muscle damage and subsequent
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  complications, particularly to the kidneys.
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  One of the telltale signs of rhabdo is darkened urine, which is pigmented by excess myoglobin
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  being filtered out of the blood.
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  Other symptoms include muscle aches and weakness.
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  Blood tests for creatine kinase levels, which rise with muscle injury and remain elevated
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  longer than myoglobin, can help diagnose rhabdomyolysis.
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  The usual treatment involves intravenous fluid resuscitation.
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  It is important to note that rhabdomyolysis is not only caused by overexertion.
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  Cardiovascular conditions, muscle trauma, extreme heat, and dehydration can also
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  contribute to the condition.
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  For instance, if an older person falls and is unable to stand up for an extended period, the
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  pressure against their muscles can deprive them of blood supply, leading to rhabdo.
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  Dr.
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  Tanayan advises that exercise-induced rhabdo can result from pushing beyond one's physical
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  limit without allowing the body enough time to adjust.
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  He recommends a gradual progression in exercise routines to enable the body to adapt.
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  Dr.
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  Tanayan points out that running a marathon without prior training is just as risky as
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  pushing yourself too hard in your first spin class.
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  Intense group exercises can sometimes encourage this kind of overexertion.
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  For example, spin classes are designed to be motivating, but if the instructor is very
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  strict and encouraging, some people may overdo it.
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  This was the case for Ellen Battles, an administrative manager at a Houston
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  philanthropic foundation, who attended a spin class in 2017 with friends.
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  Although she had never tried the workout before, she pushed herself beyond her limits,
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  motivated by the group setting and the instructor's encouragement.
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  Within two days, Ellen was in severe pain, unable to sleep, and experiencing extreme
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  muscle soreness.
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  Her legs were so swollen that she had to adjust her car's steering wheel to drive.
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  When her urine turned dark, she decided to go to the emergency department.
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  There, clinicians tested her creatine kinase levels, which were elevated, and she spent four
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  nights in the hospital receiving fluids and morphine, while her kidney levels were
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  monitored.
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  Ellen recalls that the experience severely weakened her legs, but she gradually regained
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  her strength and even ran a half-marathon a year later.
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  Despite the painful experience, she learned to pace herself better in future workouts.
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  The details surrounding the Tufts lacrosse team's workout are still unclear.
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  Patrick Collins, the executive director of media relations at Tufts University, stated
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  that the university is appointing an independent investigator to conduct a thorough
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  investigation.
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  This investigation aims to determine what happened before, during, and after the workout,
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  assess the university's response, and review procedures and policies to prevent such
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  incidents in the future.
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  Dr.
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  Tanayan noted that the alum who led the workout had completed Navy SEAL training and is likely
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  very fit and accustomed to rigorous exercise regimens.
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  It is hard to know how frequently the team was training, if they had done similar workouts
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  before, or if they were coming off a long break.
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  However, one thing is clear: the players breached a threshold that resulted in
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  rhabdomyolysis.
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  Microplastics are everywhere, from the food we eat to the air we breathe.
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  These tiny plastic fragments, measuring less than five millimeters in size, have been found
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  in various parts of our bodies, including our livers, kidneys, lungs, and guts.
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  They have even shown up in human breast milk and blood.
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  Last week, microplastics turned up in a new and rather concerning location: the olfactory bulbs
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  of eight individuals.
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  The olfactory bulb is a crucial brain structure responsible for our sense of smell.
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  This discovery adds to the growing list of body parts where microplastics have been detected.
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  So, how do these microplastics enter our bodies?
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  The primary routes are through food, water, and even the air we breathe.
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  Given their minuscule size, these particles can easily make their way into our tissues and
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  organs.
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  The potential health effects of microplastics are still being studied, but initial findings
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  are alarming.
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  Researchers are concerned that these particles could cause inflammation, disrupt the endocrine
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  system, and even contribute to chronic diseases.
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  However, much more research is needed to fully understand the extent of the damage they can
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  cause.
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  One of the biggest challenges in studying microplastics is their ubiquity.
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  They are derived from various sources, including plastic packaging, synthetic clothing
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  fibers, and even personal care products.
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  As a result, they are almost impossible to avoid.
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  Scientists are now focusing on understanding the long-term health impacts of microplastics.
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  Some studies suggest that chronic exposure could lead to more severe health issues over
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  time.
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  For instance, microplastics have been shown to pass through the blood-brain barrier in animal
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  studies, raising concerns about their potential effects on human brain health.
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  In the meantime, there are steps we can take to minimize our exposure to microplastics.
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  These include reducing the use of plastic products, opting for natural fiber clothing,
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  and being mindful of the packaging of the foods we consume.
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  While individual actions are important, systemic change is crucial for tackling this
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  issue.
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  Policies aimed at reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainable alternatives are needed
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  to address the root cause of microplastic pollution.
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  In conclusion, the presence of microplastics in various parts of our bodies is a growing
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  concern that warrants further research.
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  Understanding the health implications of these tiny particles is essential for developing
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  effective strategies to mitigate their impact on our health.
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  In our final segment today, we turn our attention to the ongoing debate about the
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  impact of social media on teen mental health.
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  Recently, Mark Zuckerberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Meta, made headlines by asserting
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  that there is no causal connection between social media use and poor mental health in
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  teenagers.
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  This statement was made during an interview with Alex Heath from The Verge.
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  Zuckerberg emphasized that the majority of high-quality research suggests no broad-scale
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  causal link between social media and adverse mental health outcomes in teens.
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  He reiterated this stance during a Congressional hearing on child safety earlier
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  this year, arguing that existing research does not definitively show a causal relationship.
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  It's worth noting that establishing causal links in social science research is notoriously
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  challenging.
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  Research indicates that social media can have both positive and negative effects on
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  adolescent mental health.
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  For instance, while some teens may experience anxiety or depression linked to social media
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  use, others might find community, support, and valuable information through these platforms.
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  Zuckerberg pointed out that the academic research aligns with his observations about how
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  platforms operate.
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  However, he acknowledged that this viewpoint might be contrary to public opinion and
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  suggested that a 'reckoning' might be necessary to align perceptions with the research
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  findings.
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  Despite his skepticism about a direct causal relationship, Zuckerberg believes that Meta has
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  a role to play in promoting child safety.
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  He advocates for giving parents the tools they need to manage their children's social media
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  usage.
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  'You can play a role in trying to make something better even if the thing wasn’t
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  caused by you in the first place,' he stated.
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  To this end, Meta has implemented several new features aimed at protecting younger users.
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  Earlier this month, Instagram announced that it would transition all teen users to more private
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  accounts with restricted direct messages and a 'Sleep Mode' feature to limit notifications at
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  night.
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  Additionally, Meta introduced new parental controls for Instagram and Messenger last year,
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  giving parents greater insight into their children's activities on these platforms.
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  The conversation about social media's impact on teen mental health intensified following the
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  release of internal documents known as the Facebook Papers in 2021.
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  These documents suggested that Meta was aware of the negative impact Instagram could have on
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  some teens.
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  In response, U.S.
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  lawmakers have increased efforts to impose age restrictions on social media platforms, with
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  some even supporting the idea of adding tobacco-like warning labels to these networks.
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  Zuckerberg has also reiterated his belief that age verification should be handled by app store
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  owners like Google and Apple, rather than individual platforms.
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  He argued that these companies already have mechanisms in place for age verification, such
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  as those used during payment processes.
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  While Zuckerberg remains skeptical about the direct ties between social media and mental
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  health issues, he assured that Meta would comply with any government regulations aimed at
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  child safety.
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  He suggested that the ability to receive push notifications and the resulting distractions
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  might be more significant contributors to mental health issues than the specific apps
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  themselves.
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  In conclusion, the debate over social media's impact on teen mental health is far from
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  settled.
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  While Mark Zuckerberg maintains that there is no broad causal connection, the conversation
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  continues to evolve.
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  It's clear that more research is needed to fully understand the complexities of this
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  issue.
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  In the meantime, efforts to enhance child safety on social media platforms are ongoing.
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  That wraps up today's episode of Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow.
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  Thank you for joining us.
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  Until next time, stay informed and stay healthy.