Charting Pediatrics

Every child has an individual h ealthcare experience , but for marginalized communities like migrant families, the y face some unique challenges in our healthcare system . F rom dealing with trauma to navigating a language barrier , working to get the right care can be complicated . At this year's annual Children's Hospital Colorado p odcast l ive e vent, Charting Pediatrics took a close look at t...

Advances in technology, medical knowledge and the establishment of pediatric tracheary care institution s ha ve helped revolutionize pediatric otolaryngology . For specialists in this field , watching the growth unfold has been an exciting adventure they've experienced firsthand while working on the frontlines. From genetic testing to targeted therapy and new procedures, the options are now vast c...

Picture this: Y ou travel to the mountains, excited to take on your next big adventure, only to find yourse lf breathles s , your stomach is churning and in the morning your head is throbbing. It's altitude sickness, otherwise known as acute mountain sickness. Here in Colorado, our mountain doctors experience this regularly, but patients don't always realize why they're experiencing these symptoms...

Every year, thousands of people are added to organ transplant waiting lists, but not all patients have equal access to the life-saving procedures they desperately need. As transplant programs around the world continue to expand and improve , it's important for healthcare providers to consider potential disparities in care, all while working hard to create an even playing field for patients . Socio...

Anaphylaxis  is a serious, systemic hypersensitivity reaction with rapid onset and can be potentially fatal. It is frightening for patients, families and medical providers. Currently, the st andard treatment is epinephrine as an injectio n. At this very moment, we are on the cusp of transforming how we treat severe allergic reactions. If approved by the FDA, a new sublingual form of epinephrine wo...

Podcasts have become one of the most popular content mediums, captivating millions worldwide. Their convenient, on-the-go format allows people to multitask while they listen. From entertainment to education, podcasts are changing the way people engage and interact with information. In medicine, they are changing the way residents are able to learn.   In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Christoph...

  Around the country and across the globe, children's hospitals play an essential role in kid' s health and well-being. They provide specialized care, crucial research, essential educatio n and vital community outreach. As we kick off the new year, we take a deep dive into the evolving child health landscape to better understand what issues our patient families are currently facing and identif y s...

  It's hard to fathom why certain children receive life altering diagnoses . P ediatricians simply want to help , and that help usually comes in the form of early diagnosis. Duchen n e m uscular d ystrophy, otherwise known as Duchenne or DMD , is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting approximately one in every 5,000 live male births. Early screening and identific...

  Pediatricians  don't often screen children and adolescents for a lipid profile, a n important tool for identifying cardiovascular disease . Cardiovascular disease is considered a life-course condition, meaning it can begin in chi ldhood, so why aren't we screening kids more regularly? Does early intervention make sense for some kids? In this episode, we discuss cholesterol, family history, genet...

In this special h oliday episode, we reflect on our favorite epi sodes from the past year and look forward to the year ahead. From all of us at Children's Hospital Colorado, we wish you a happy holiday season. Charting Pediatrics would not be the success it is today without your support, wonderful topic ideas and intrigue. It's providers like you who are changing pediatric healthcare around the wo...

The United States has the highest rate of maternal deaths among high-income nations and women of color, are disproportionately affected. For Black women in this country, the rate jumps from 22 deaths with every 100,000 births to 50 deaths for every 100,000 births . When it comes to postpartum depression, these same women are several times more likely to suffer, but less likely to receive treatment...

Pediatric providers around the world are focused on helping sick children — finding cures, creating new treatment options and developing innovative techniques to improve care. But when it comes to conflict zones and border areas, there are few er doctors available to protect the health of vulnerable children . Paul Wise , MD, MPH, is a physician who has dedicated his career to taking on that compl...

2024 marks 100 years since the Geneva D eclaration of the R ights of the C hild. I n the aftermath of W orld W ar I, this declaration called for universal attention to the needs of children , including their health. A century later, we've made progress, but children still face vast challenges here in the United States and around the world. How can we advance the global cause of children's health?...

Bringing a baby into this world is the start of many significant changes , yet one change that some families may not anticipate is post-partum depression (PPD). This condition affects more than the parent's wellbeing, it can impact children and other family members too . About one in five new parents experience mood or anxiety concerns during pregnancy or after delivery, making maternal mental hea...

From startups to global corporations , CEOs have the power to make immense strides in any respective industry. In pediatric medicine, they drive advancements in child health through high-quality care, coordinated programs, education, research and advocacy. While providers are working directly with patients, these leaders are preparing the infrastructure for success while pushing us to reimagine he...

The most common congenital viral infection in children is cytomegalovirus infection (CMV ) .   Oftentimes the mother will experience little to no symptoms, but the virus c an significantly affect the newborn, with outcomes ranging from no symptoms to sever e systemic and intercranial complications . What if we could prevent this infection all together with a vaccine? A candidate MRNA vaccine again...

As a child, a nosebleed can be painful and embarrassing . Surprisingly , it's also something primary care providers run into often in their practices . While the great majority of nosebleeds , also called epistaxis, are limited in severity and duration, about 6% of people who experience them will seek medical attention. Interventions range from self-treatment and home remedies to more intensive pr...

One of the great medical accomplishments of our time is the evolution of precision medicine. Th e ability to understand a patient's unique genetic profile has become more accessible to our patients , and now , there are multiple mechanisms for using that information to overcome disease. One of the  specialties leading the way in precision medicine is pediatric neurology. According to the World Hea...

Many of us avoid talking about suicide , not only because it's a difficult conversation , but also because we don't know how to. And avoiding that conversation can be a barrier to helping those most at risk. One family from Colorado is at the forefront of changing the stigma and creating opportunities for fearless conversations. They courageously shared their story in a powerful documentary releas...

In the state of Colorado , cases of N eonatal A bstinence S yndrome (NAS) and N eonatal O pi oid W ithdrawal S yndrome (NOWS) increased by 1 20 % from 2011 to 2016. Clinicians provide critical support to improve outcomes for these newborns , and there's been impressive collaboration among healthcare providers around this issue. Two important examples are the Colorado Hospitals Substance Exposed Ne...

Despite the pervasiveness of child trafficking in the United States, many communities aren't aware of the scope of th e issue . Here in Colorado, t he University of Colorado's Kemp e Center is recognized as a leader in the fight against child abuse , and they are important voices in the global conversation around identifying and ending child traffic k ing . By committing to responding , treating a...

With kids back in school, pediatric viral illnesses are revving their engines. It seems we have returned to normal seasonality for viral disease after the coronavirus pandemic . Top of mind with the arrival of fall is r espiratory s yncytial v irus (RSV). We know how quickly the onset of RSV season can take over our waiting rooms.    Last year, two important developments occurred that could change...

Children with autism spectrum disorder  (ASD) tend to have more medical complications than the average ki d. A mong the most common challenges are gastrointestinal (GI) disorders like abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. Untreated GI distress in kids with ASD has been linked to many other issues , including sleep, behavioral and psychiatric disorders. Many of these same kids also have select...

Sharing data transparently, whether at a local or a national level, is a foundational contributor to healthcare quality. Atul Gawande wrote about this in his 2004 essay labeled 'The Bell Curve'. Over the last several decades, we have seen many pediatric specialties organize and collaborate around data collection at a national scale to improve care. We've seen firsthand how our hospital's participa...

Over the last few decades, the roles of nurse practitioner s (NP s ) and physician assistant s (PA s ), also known as advanced practice providers (APPs) , have greatly expanded to touch even more patient-family lives . They are an essential part of the care we provide , and their roles have evolved over time. In this episode, we explore the crucial part they play in our medical system and how that...