Q1 - Many newborn babies have

[rsmorale]

Will someone please help walk me through their process in eliminating the wrong answer choices? Thanks!

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Let's take a look...

We're asked to support the second group of doctors that argue for allowing billirubin levels in newborn babies to remain high.

The first group advocated to reduce billirubin levels.

To support the second group over the first we need to find something positive about allowing billirubin levels to remain high or something negative about trying to reduce levels of billirubin. It's tough to predict where the answer might go, so let's just dive in.

(A) supports the first group of doctors.
(B) supports the first group of doctors.
(C) is irrelevant to the argument.
(D) is correct! This would support the second group of doctors, since this would be a positive outcome of allowing the billirubin levels to remain high.
(E) is irrelevant. Under some assumptions, this answer choice would at best support the first group of doctors, but under no conditions would this support the second group of doctors.

Hope that helps!

[jimmy902o]

Having a hard time understanding why D is correct... to me, it reads like something after the fact. By this i mean once the babies are born it may neutralize negative affects in that moment, but it serves no use afterwards. And the first group of doctors is arguing to have it treated after the fact, i.e. after they are born and after it serves no purpose except has the potential to cause tetanus. Does this make sense? Can someone help me understand this better? Thanks!

[Dannyboy3D]

I was stuck between A) and D)...

KEEP IN MIND: This is a Strengthening question--we're trying to strengthen ONLY the view of the second group of doctors--basically, that high bilirubin levels in newborns are a good thing.

A) is incorrect because it talks about REDUCING high levels of bilirubin.. How is reducing bilirubin levels the same as saying high bilirubin levels are a good thing? (Hint: It's NOT.)

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D) gives us a good reason--why are high bilirubin levels in newborns a good thing? Because if we keep bilirubin levels high in newborns, it can eliminate other harmful substances they tend to be exposed to at birth. The second group of doctors probably wants these newborns to not be exposed to other damaging substances.

The second group of doctors obviously doesn't agree with the first group about high levels of Bilirubin in infants being a good thing. The First group worries that high levels of bilirubin possibly leads to Tetanus; but the second group believes the natural defenses of the brain will usually prevent bilirubin from causing Tetanus anyway.

To strengthen the reasoning made by the second group, we need to find a good reason to maintain the high level of bilirubin in newborns. And D) provides it.

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B), C), and E) say nothing about bilirubin being good for newborns.