Primary Care Perspectives

Kerri Heckert, MS, RD, LDN, CEDRD-S, clinical dietitian, and Eleanor Benner, PsyD, psychologist, of the Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), discuss the most recent (and more inclusive) diagnostic criteria for anorexia and bulimia; the relatively new diagnosis ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder); the role of growth charts in...

Arunjot Singh, MD, MPH, attending physician and Co-Director of the Center for Celiac Disease at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), talks about when and how to start celiac screenings, genetic links to other autoimmune diseases, common presentations of celiac disease in a primary care setting, understanding IgG levels, role of different diagnostic tests and biopsy, how pediatricians can mo...

In this episode, we explore the ethical considerations around the development and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines with Chris Feudtner, MD, PhD, MPH, Director of Research for the Justin Michael Ingerman Center for Palliative Care and Endowed Chair in Medical Ethics at CHOP. He discusses how are advisory groups are deciding who will receive priority immunization given limited supply, logistical...

In this episode, Katie Lockwood, MD, sits down with a panel of experts to talk about CHOP’s clinical pathway for the management of challenging behaviors in children. Vicky Scheid, MD, Pediatrician, Melanie Hoynoski, Child Life Specialist, and Julie Ginsburg, MSN, CPNP-PC, AE-C, Ambulatory Nursing Practice Specialist, share strategies to support and promote proactive management of behavior safety n...

Autism effects as many as 1 in 54 children. In this episode, we focus on alternative treatments. Amanda Bennett, MD, MPH, developmental pediatrician and clinical chair of the Autism Integrated Care Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about why families look to integrative medicine for treatment of autism, and dives into the safety and efficacy of some common integrative approache...

Dr. Irene Mathieu is an academic pediatrician, writer, educator and public health researcher focused on teaching health equity through the medical humanities. In this episode, she defines narrative medicine and discusses the role of poetry as a narrative medicine tool. She also explores how narrative medicine impacts medical education, particularly looking at outcomes such as empathy, tolerance fo...

Jonathan Spergel, MD, PhD, Chief of Allergy Program at CHOP, covers the top 9 most common food allergens, current recommendations for when and how to safely introduce potential food allergens, when to refer to an allergist for testing, when different tests (skin, IgE or RAST testing) are indicated, outgrowing allergies, and exciting research underway around immunotherapy and other treatment advanc...

Poisoning is the number one cause of death due to injury in the U.S. In this episode, Kevin Osterhoudt, MD, Medical Director of CHOP’s Poison Control Center, talks about common poison exposures in children, unexpected poisons, the use of naloxone for opioid overdose, identifying toxidromes, advice for pediatricians counseling parents to protect children from poisoning, popular social media “challe...

Guest Lori B. Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH, is internationally-recognized for her work related to breastfeeding education programs and nutrition policy, and serves as Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Breastfeeding. She joins us to talk about all things breastfeeding, including benefits, contraindications, jaundice, managing hypoglycemia in breastfeeding newborns, lactogenesi...

Why are there so many children in cities like Philadelphia that aren’t proficient readers? Danielle Erkoboni, MD, a pediatrician at CHOP’s Care Network location in Norristown, and Trude Haecker, MD, Medical Director of Global patient Services and Reach Out and Read, talk about the complex factors that impact literacy skills, long-term impact related to lack of literacy or low proficiency in readin...

Maria R. Mascarenhas, MBBS, Director of Integrative Health, and Tracey F. Jubelirer, MD, Integrative Oncology Medical Director, talk about what culinary medicine is and how it is different than nutrition; how it can be used to provide evidence-based nutrition guidance, translating research into practical advice for patients; how to use food and nutrition as part of a patient’s healthcare goals; ho...

Kathleen E. Sullivan, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, sits down to discuss the risk of COVID-19  in children who are immunocompromised. She talks about early findings from international research about how COVID-19 impacts patients with different immunodeficiencies, the role of convalescent plasma, vaccines, school considerations, pre...

Pamela Pojomovsky McDonnell, MD, a pediatric neurologist with the Division of Neurology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, defines tics and tic disorders. Topics covered include distinctive features of a tic, typical presentation of tics seen in primary care, common questions from parents, when to refer to neurology, Tourette’s syndrome, causes, medications, current studies and more. Publishe...

Naomi Brown, MD, and Matthew Grady, MD, pediatric sports medicine specialists in the Division of Orthopaedics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), talk about factors for a safe return to youth sports after coronavirus shutdowns, strategies teams can use to mitigate risk, and what to do in case of COVID-19 symptoms or exposures. They also offer advice for student-athletes as they seek to...

When is a child just flexible, and when do we say they’re hypermobile? Staci Kallish, DO, a clinical geneticist in the Division of Human Genetics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about hypermobility, covering topics such as red flags for joint hypermobility, what systemic symptoms might indicate a potential inherited connective tissue disorder, and how primary care providers can scree...

With fewer children seeking care due to physical distancing, the early detection of pediatric cancers is being impacted. Julie Stern, MD, Director of Outreach Services for the Division of Oncology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, discusses how children with cancer may present differently during the COVID-19 pandemic and how pediatricians can optimize physical exams in telemedicine settings...

Parenting challenges faced in typical times are heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, and both parents and children may be feeling stressed. In this episode, Emily DePaul, MPH, MAC, and Linda McWhorter, PhD, talk about positive parenting during a pandemic and the PriCARE Parenting Program, which focuses on providing a toolbox of parenting techniques to increase positive behavior and build a strong...

This episode’s guests Flaura Winston, MD, PhD, Founder and Scientific Director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention, and Daria Ferro, MD, a pediatric hospitalist, discuss all things related to innovation and quality improvement, particularly during the times of a pandemic. They talk about the “innovation ecosystem” at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where the goal is to efficientl...

In the age of COVID-19, many families are wanting to leave the hospital as soon as possible after delivering a new baby. But is it the right thing to do? Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, attending neonatologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about the many factors that must be considered for the health and safety of both mothers and newborns, key newborn screenings, the role primary care...

Child abuse is unfortunately very common, and in the setting of a pandemic like COVID-19, the risk is elevated. Cindy Christian, MD, talks about the factors that increase the risk for abuse during a pandemic, such as heightened stressors facing families and the fact that children are not visible to those who often recognize and report abuse, like teachers and pediatricians. She also discusses what...

Preterm birth results in multiple challenges, both short term in newborn intensive care units, and long term in the neurodevelopmental outcomes of these babies. gretchen Lawhon, PhD, RN, CBC, FAAN, a clinical nurse scientist at Abington-Jefferson Health’s Division of Neonatology, discusses how scientific advances continue to inform how we care for these vulnerable patients, with an emphasis on pro...

Kevin Osterhoudt, MD, emergency medicine physician and Medical Director of the Poison Control Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, covers all things lead – common sources of lead exposure, long-term effects on children, screenings for blood lead levels, lead poisoning, and management of lead poisoning. Published March 2020. This podcast is for general informational and educational purpos...

Pediatric cardiologist Shohba Natarajan, MD, talks about identifying and treating patients at risk for early cardiovascular disease. She identifies pediatric diagnoses that put a child at risk, what to look for in family history, and discusses the important role that primary care pediatricians play in cardiovascular disease screenings and identifying patients who may not otherwise be considered hi...

Pediatric endocrinologist Marissa Kilberg, MD, gives a refresher on the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and endocrine labs, including a breakdown of what is being looked at and how to best evaluate adrenal function of a pediatric patient. Published February 2020. This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered as medical advice for any...

Roy Wade Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, MSHP, a researcher and pediatrician at Primary Care, Cobbs Creek, discusses adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their life course impact on the health and well-being of kids. He talks about how primary care pediatricians can assess for ACEs and help address these experiences by collaborating with agencies in our community that are directly addressing these issues w...