Pediatrics
Candy weed: no protection for marijuana child poisoning
Timmy’s eyes were rolling side to side in his head as his limp body did not respond to his mother’s calling. He was rushed to the hospital and admitted to the ICU. The 4-year-old ate one of his mother’s cannabis-infused, rainbow-sherbet-flavored gummies and ended up with marijuana poisoning and in a coma. There is no antidote to THC, the psychoactive chemical in cannabis, so Timmy had to wait and detoxify …
The middle road to childhood obesity treatment: Empowering kids with healthy habits
The new American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for childhood obesity have shifted from a “watchful waiting” method to “early and aggressive treatment.” Coverage of the guidelines in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and other reputable news outlets have readily accepted this new depiction of childhood obesity as a disorder in need of immediate, aggressive intervention and has given little or no attention to what …
3 hospitalists’ struggles with board certification: a tale of ineligibility, cancelled tests, and unfair fees
When I finished my pediatric residency almost 20 years ago, I embarked upon a career in general pediatrics because I didn’t enjoy any particular subspecialty enough to commit my career to it. After spending several years in a mostly outpatient setting (peppered with child abuse consults, circumcisions, and an unsatisfyingly small number of hospitalized patients), I knew I had to change and move across the country to pursue pediatric hospital …
From toys to tragedy: the threat of button batteries to children’s health
According to a study published in Pediatrics, it is estimated that between 2010 and 2019, more than 70,000 emergency department (ED) visits in the United States were related to battery ingestion, mouth exposure, and ear or nasal insertion among children under 18 years old. ED visits occurred more frequently among children ages five years and younger. Button-type and …
Navigating complex medical issues: one family’s story of advocacy and hope [PODCAST]
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In this episode, we have a special guest, Laura Fernando, a patient advocate, who shares her heart-wrenching story of her daughter Lily’s medical journey with COVID-19 and other health conditions. Joining her and Lily is Linda Bluestein, …
Don’t neglect the power of clinical examinations in modern medicine
I intended to write an essay endorsing the clinical examination (CE), but recent personal events have made me reconsider. I had outpatient sinus surgery and developed chest pain the next day, leading me to my local rural hospital’s emergency department (ED). The ED physician diagnosed atrial fibrillation, and a CT scan revealed a small pulmonary embolus. I was then transferred to a city hospital and eventually cardioverted to sinus rhythm.
Despite …
Finding the right balance: Fleishman is in Trouble takes on parenting in the 21st century
For those who haven’t yet seen Hulu’s dramatic series Fleishman Is in Trouble, it’s really about the different forms of existential crises people face in middle age. The show contemplates the challenges of maintaining a marriage, parenting in the digital age, job dissatisfaction, and suburban listlessness, and how a responsible adult might reconcile these dilemmas and chart a new course forward. It manages to explore these weighty themes with earnestness …
A look into the safety of children products following baby formula recalls
We previously reported about the national baby formula shortage that began in February 2022 and lasted for several months, affecting countless infants, parents, and caregivers and intensifying distress amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, these supply chain disruptions were largely exacerbated by the novel coronavirus for numerous industries, including the food and infant care sectors, thereby further compounding the already precarious situation. As a result, these industry-wide shortages …
Surviving and thriving: the new reality for chronically ill children
My daughter was born with cystic fibrosis (CF). CF has been a catastrophic disease, historically fatal in childhood. CF is not pretty; it affects nearly every organ system, slowly and systematically damaging them. People with CF have thick, sticky mucous, which clogs their airways, pancreatic ducts, sinuses, and intestines. This mucous causes numerous health issues.
CF has been around for a long time. In the Middle Ages, a poem warns parents, …
Say “no” to APNO and say “yes” to breastfeeding medicine
It is common to get some nipple discomfort at the start of breastfeeding. Babies and moms are learning how to do this new skill, and sometimes they just don’t get it right, and nipple damage can occur. If caught and adjusted early, this can clear up quickly, but in the meantime, women can have cracks, bleeding, and extreme sensitivity to their nipples.
All-purpose nipple ointment – otherwise known as APNO – …
How an eye for detail can save lives [PODCAST]
It’s time to stop focusing on family weight
My eyes fell upon a horrible newspaper headline from 2008: “Fat kids die earlier.” That is the first article that I remember talking about obesity in childhood, but there were plenty more in the early 2000s. At the time, I clipped it because it reinforced my approach at the time: identify issues, educate, act, and avoid.
Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in the prevalence of children …
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An angel in the woods: a tragic story and the gift of life
We lived in the woods. Five acres of trees. You could barely see the sky. We left the big city for this piece of heaven. And by chance, we met a couple that had a 5-year-old daughter. Our son was four years old. They became best friends. They’d swing on the swing set, play in the sandbox, and splash each other in our little pool.
Kayla was this sweet, tiny girl. …
Pediatric mental health is a growing epidemic. Here’s how Illinois is leading the way to solve that.
One of my friends in middle school was known for her uncanny ability to brighten up any space she walked into. But when we hit high school, she had become more withdrawn and dejected, and her self-esteem plummeted. She was clearly struggling, but at the time, I didn’t know what the signs of depression were and was at a loss for how to support her. She and I had no …
Where have all the pediatric beds gone? The consequence of strict admission criteria.
In the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the piper tunefully leads the children astray and to their doom.
Well, the piper has returned. Actually, he has been back for several years, but few noticed. This time he is not making off with the children but rather the beds they lie in, specifically pediatric hospital beds. This was not really obvious except to pediatricians until the recent calamitous “triple epidemic” …
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The power of a sticker: reflections on my journey as a pediatric resident
In my third week of residency, I gave out my first sticker.
My medical assistant opened the drawer and revealed the rolls of stickers, asking me to choose for my patient, who waited behind the door I just closed, their smile joining all the other little smiles that filled this room before and would continue to fill after.
The mind took me years back to little feet in pink and white flowery …
Clinicians serving under-resourced populations should seize opportunity for free lifestyle medicine education
As a pediatrician serving under-resourced families in Washington, D.C., I was glad to see health leaders converge for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Solutions to food insecurity and diet-related diseases are urgently needed to address the crisis of chronic disease, which afflicts six in 10 Americans.
One of the important issues discussed at the conference is the critical need for more education and training in nutrition …
Are pediatricians too nice?
One summer a few years ago, I went to pick my son up from camp. He was attending a week-long specialty day camp where the kids spent a week with an expert in some area of interest. The camp offered everything from basketball, soccer, and tennis to acting, magic, and chess. It was the first time I was going to pick him up, and I wasn’t exactly sure where to …
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Is there a third pathway of resilience?
My social media feed has increasingly included stories of friends “quiet quitting.” A term popularized through TikTok, quiet quitting is a reaction to the exploitation of employee labor without providing additional compensation. Simultaneously, my IRL conversations have been filled with stories of the Great Resignation, in which employees have voluntarily resigned, often without other employment secured. A recent report by the U.S. Surgeon General recognized the problem of workplace …
Past Week
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How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
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How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
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From the other side of the table: a plea for empathy
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Leaving medicine is not a failure: It might be the change you always needed
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Why vaccine access still fails America’s most vulnerable groups
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The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
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Past 6 Months
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How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
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How hospitals are quietly taking control of physicians
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Cutting opioid use in half: a hospital’s pain management breakthrough
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The hidden bias young female physicians face every day
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How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
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How to advocate for your transgender child’s health care
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Recent Posts
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Leading with care: a new approach to health care leadership for well-being [PODCAST]
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Calling for a heart surgeon: a plea for change
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When modesty kills: the CPR gender gap you didn’t know existed
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Breast cancer was never supposed to be part of my story
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Why the FDA’s outdated prescription rules hinder access to birth control and naloxone [PODCAST]
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Medical school admissions are racing toward an AI-driven disaster
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Past Week
-
How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
-
How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
-
From the other side of the table: a plea for empathy
-
Leaving medicine is not a failure: It might be the change you always needed
-
Why vaccine access still fails America’s most vulnerable groups
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Past 6 Months
-
How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
-
How hospitals are quietly taking control of physicians
-
Cutting opioid use in half: a hospital’s pain management breakthrough
-
The hidden bias young female physicians face every day
-
How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
-
How to advocate for your transgender child’s health care
-
Recent Posts
-
Leading with care: a new approach to health care leadership for well-being [PODCAST]
-
Calling for a heart surgeon: a plea for change
-
When modesty kills: the CPR gender gap you didn’t know existed
-
Breast cancer was never supposed to be part of my story
-
Why the FDA’s outdated prescription rules hinder access to birth control and naloxone [PODCAST]
-
Medical school admissions are racing toward an AI-driven disaster
-
