Kids’ Health Uncomplicated

It’s a relief to have medications available when a member of your family is diagnosed with a new condition. But do you know how that medication was developed and what went into its approval for you to be able to use it?   Dr. Marc Rothenberg has been working on a drug for the last decade to help his patients who have eosinophilic esophagitis. He’s our guest today, providing insight to how a new dr...

Anxiety is not a bad thing for children to experience. It is a feeling or emotion that involves tension, worried thoughts and physical responses. Anxiety is normal and is necessary to protect us from potential dangers, and motivate us to start or finish tasks. It exists on a spectrum from typical to needs intervention. On this episode of Young & Healthy, we explore this topic that we know parents...

It's summertime and kids are spending more time at the pool, playing outside, riding bikes with friends, and having grand summer adventures. Sometimes their adventures lead to injuries, making summer a busy time for the emergency department at Cincinnati Children's. But, summer activities don't have to end in an emergency visit; many injuries are preventable.  This week on the podcast, Dr. Wendy P...

If you are a parent of an athlete, this episode is for you! Adolescent and teen athletes are not simply smaller adult athletes. They are still growing physically and mentally, and it is important to keep this in mind if they get injured playing a sport they love. Such as, did you know kids don’t get rotator cuff injuries, but are sometimes still diagnosed with them incorrectly?   This week on the...

The nationwide formula shortage that continues to impact many families’ ability to find formula for their babies and children continues to cause fear, stress, and frustration for many families. Dr. Mary Carol Burkhardt, Dr. Sheela Geraghty, and Registered Dietitian Jeanna Jackson join us to provide families with more information about the ongoing formula shortage. They share strategies families ca...

You may have recently seen in headlines, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently investigating several clusters of unexplained hepatitis in children. Dr. Kathy Campbell and Dr. Lara Danziger-Isakov join us to explain what this means and what experts are learning about the cases and potential causes. They also give us a great introduction to what hepatitis is, as well as i...

  After we endured the massive omicron surge in January, much lower COVID numbers in the community have offered some relief for families. We’re calling it a lull in the pandemic, and Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney and Dr. Josh Schaffzin join us this week to discuss how we should behave in a pandemic lull – when cases are more manageable, but not zero. We also discuss why it is vital to continue to mas...

18-year-old Cate Casey always knew she was extra flexible and had a lot of headaches, but  during her teen years, she found herself unable to do most of her normal activities – and had no idea why. Join us this week as we talk to Cate and a member of her “medical village”, Dr. Melodie Blacklidge, about Cate’s eventual diagnoses of Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder and POTS – or postural orthostatic...

This week on the podcast, Registered Dietitians Alison Cassin and Meghan McNeill join Michael English to talk about plant-based milks. Many children are unable to drink cow’s milk and luckily there are alternative products for them. But there are a whole lot of options in the milk case lately and they are not created equal. If you have a kiddo who can’t - or won’t - drink cow’s milk, you shouldn’t...

On this episode of Young & Healthy, we explore the topic of Child Abuse Prevention. Experts from our Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children introduce listeners to information that can help grown ups be more aware of what can lead to abuse, how to be alert to signs that a child may be experiencing abuse, and how to get help. They also tell us about protective factors for children and how to...

Social-emotional learning, commonly referred to as SEL, is a framework that can help students and the adults they become thrive personally and academically. This week, we have Dr. Aria Fiat, and Dr. Phoebe Jordan join Kate Setter to give parents more context on the social-emotional learning framework and how it comes to life in learning environments. We also discuss the research on SEL, misconcept...

Cincinnati Children's chaplains, Marc Zumhagen and Yisroel Kaufman, join Michael English for a conversation about the importance of having tough conversations with kids. With military conflict in our world, as well as a pandemic that pushes on, and all of the challenges families face everyday, kids worry and need the adults in their lives to help them talk about the tough stuff. Marc and Yisroel o...

This week on the podcast, Dr. Ndidi Unaka, and Dr. Andy Beck join us for a conversation about health equity. We answer the questions: What is health equity? How can the healthcare system achieve health equity? And, what is Cincinnati Children’s doing to foster and support this work? We also dive into the definition of social determinants of health and the long-term effects they can have on a child...

Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney and Dr. Bob Frenck join us for a COVID-19 update and share what they are seeing in children with omicron, how the community is doing with vaccine rates, and what we know about when vaccines will be available for kids 6 mos.- 5 yrs. We also discuss booster shots for children ages 12-17, the difference between pandemic and endemic, and parents' concerns related to myocardi...

The Young & Healthy Podcast is back for season two and in this first episode, we are pleased to have Cincinnati Children’s new President and CEO, Steve Davis, MD, join us in the studio. Our conversation with Steve covers his vision for himself as a leader, a bit about his earlier career and what he loves most about his job and about Cincinnati Children's. He also tells us about his family and what...

This week on the podcast, we bring together the podcast team to talk about our favorite episodes and reflections on Season 1 of Young & Healthy. Michael English and Symfhani Pitts join Kate Setter to wrap up the season and provide some recommendations for must-listen episodes that newer listeners may have missed. Be sure to join us again in January to kick off season 2! Thanks for listening and ha...

This week on the podcast, we welcome parents who are also members of the Marketing and Communications team at Cincinnati Children’s. Michael English and Allison Bradley join us to discuss the magic of the holidays and Santa Claus. Our guests share the role that Santa plays in their household during the holidays. We also discuss how they found out about Santa as children, giving to others and the m...

This week on the podcast, we welcome members of the pastoral care team at Cincinnati Children’s. Daphene Baines, Chaplain Marc Zumhagen, and Chaplain Yisroel Kaufman join us for an exciting and heartfelt conversation about holiday traditions. We dive into the meaning of a tradition and why it is important to learn about traditions different from our own. Our guests also share some of their favorit...

The holiday season is here and as Thanksgiving approaches, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Lynne Merk, a clinical psychologist here at Cincinnati Children’s, to talk about gratitude during the holidays and throughout year. Listen in as Dr. Merk shares how being grateful is good for health and happiness, as well as advice on how families can make gratitude a habit. We also share creative activities f...

This week on the podcast, Dr. Kara Ayers and Dr. Susan Wiley, faculty members in our Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, join us to talk about how parents can help their kids understand and learn about people who have disabilities. Listen in as Dr. Ayers and Dr. Wiley share their professional and personal experiences to describe how damaging stereotypes and certain words can be, h...

Drs. Patty Manning-Courtney and Bob Frenck join us to provide an update on the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. Join us as we answer parent questions about vaccine research, allergies and the vaccine, natural immunity, side effects and benefits of vaccination for children five and older.   For more information on our vaccine clinics or to schedule a vaccination, visit  https://www.cinci...

This week on the podcast, we talk to pediatric dentists, Drs. Giulia Castrigano and Patrick Ruck on all things oral health. Tooth decay is the most common disease in children, but the good news is, it is also preventable. Join us to discuss when kids should see a pediatric dentist, when to start brushing and brushing techniques, tooth decay, dental trauma, and more. This episode is loaded with lot...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied on school property. This week’s episode discusses in-person bullying with Dr. Ryan Adams, PhD, Associate Professor. Our conversation includes the different types of bullying, the effects of bullying, what to do if your child is the bully, strategies that children can use if t...

This week on the podcast, we talk to Dr. Beverly Smolyansky about self-esteem in kids. Low self-esteem has the potential to lead to children engaging in negative behaviors and activities that could impact their quality of life. It is vital that parents nurture positive self-esteem to maintain a child’s overall health. Join us as we break down why self-esteem is important, how parents can help impr...

Dr. Abigail Matthews, a clinical psychologist and associate director of the Eating Disorders program at Cincinnati Children’s, joins us to discuss her newest research on eating disorders and the effects the pandemic has had. We learn more about her study, discuss types of eating disorders, biological predisposition to disordered eating and the stressors that can cause a perfect storm for illness t...