In addition to the highly specialized care our clinicians provide to patients across the country every day, many also serve as go-to expert sources for top national and regional media outlets. Pediatrix® clinicians regularly contribute to news articles, sharing their expertise to help educate readers on a wide variety of popular topics related to women’s and children’s health, as well as unique stories of innovative patient care.
Here’s a roundup of some of the latest stories:
- Mary Frances Lynch, M.D., neonatologist, spoke to Good Morning America about formerly conjoined twin sisters, who were successfully separated in January and recently celebrated their first birthday and started walking. "They are just right on target with their developmental milestones. They’re even a little ahead of schedule as far as their motor skills are concerned, so it's really just incredible," said Dr. Lynch. “It's so gratifying for everybody who was involved in their care. When they come visit, just seeing people flock to come and see how they're doing, it really warms your heart, and it reminds everybody why we do what we do."
- Zachary Hoy, M.D., pediatric infectious disease specialist and practice medical director, spoke to Yahoo! Life about whether kids should wear masks again when COVID cases are on the rise. “At this time, masking should be based on COVID illness, COVID hospital admissions in the local area and risk of COVID disease, so most school-age children would not be at increased risk unless they have an underlying immune system deficiency or are on immune-compromising medications,” said Dr. Hoy. “If a person is in a high-risk group for COVID or there is significant transmission in the local area, specific patients could return to masking, but I would not recommend masking as a blanket recommendation for larger groups at this time.”
- Jill Purdie, M.D., obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) and practice medical director, spoke to POPSUGAR about the causes of cold sweats, including menopause. "During this time, the ovaries make less of the typical female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, and the drop in the hormone levels disrupts the body's ability to regulate temperature," said Dr. Purdie. "This disruption in the brain is what causes the hot flashes, which can be followed by cold sweats.”
- Michael Reardon, M.D., pediatric neurologist, spoke to Healthline about a new study reporting on an increase in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication errors. A “common opportunity for errors is when a prescription changes,” said Dr. Reardon. “One contributor to this that is somewhat specific to ADHD medications is the national shortages of ADHD medications,” added Dr. Reardon, “which has created a need for frequent medication changes and sets up this vulnerability.”
- Puji Jonnalagadda, M.D., developmental-behavioral pediatrician, spoke to Forbes Health about developmental delays in children, including cognitive delays. “If a child does not have enough stimulation, the first step is to increase the amount of stimulation they are experiencing,” said Dr. Jonnalagadda. “It’s important parents are educated on how to play with their child and stimulate their brains,” she said, adding that reading to a child is a great activity to do together.
- Suzanne Bovone, M.D., OBGYN, spoke to Parents about getting pregnant with irregular periods. “A thorough history, physical, lab testing and ultrasound will be done to determine a reason [for your irregular periods],” said Dr. Bovone. “Sometimes a reason is not found, but fortunately, infertility doctors are able to assist patients in achieving their pregnancy goals.”
- Sissi Cossio, M.D., pediatric endocrinologist, spoke to FamilyEducation about growth drinks for kids. “These boosts and protein shakes are helpful for children in certain, specific circumstances including ‘Failure to Thrive,’” said Dr. Cossio. “Kids who are underweight and do not have a good appetite will be the ones who will benefit the most. In order for children to have normal linear growth, an adequate amount of nutrients has to be available. If they meet the criteria for extra diet supplements, they will be helpful.”
- Amy Wetter, M.D., OBGYN, spoke to Livestrong about polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). "PCOS is a hormone imbalance where your ovaries produce excess hormones called androgens," said Dr. Wetter. "Due to this hormone imbalance, women will often have missed periods, irregular cycles, unpredictable ovulation and can also have acne, excess hair, obesity, thin hair, cysts on the ovaries and infertility."
- Jenelle Ferry, M.D., neonatologist, spoke to CNN Health about a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics on the nutritional benefits of toddler milk. “The words toddler formula is misleading,” said Dr. Ferry. “Parents are trying to do the best for their kids, and there’s a lot of marketing that can be misleading. A conversation with your pediatrician can help make sense of the confusion with product labeling and tailor nutrition to what’s right for your child.”
- Suzy Lipinski, M.D., OBGYN, spoke to Healthline about new findings that excess weight gain during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of death from heart disease or diabetes in the following decades. “We know that those who gain excess weight in pregnancy are more likely to keep that extra weight on after delivery and that carrying extra weight increases [the] risk for diabetes, heart disease and many types of cancer,” said Dr. Lipinski. “Being able to show [patients] with studies like this that the impact goes well beyond just the pregnancy time period is even further motivation to make healthy choices.”
- Karen Wright, M.D., pediatric cardiologist, spoke to KXAN-TV, the Austin, Texas, NBC affiliate, about a heartwarming story of multigenerational heart care. Dr. Wright cared for mom Micaela as a child through adolescence and in a full circle moment, she happened to be the on-call cardiologist when Micaela gave birth to her daughter, Anderson, who was born with a congenital heart defect just like mom. “Micaela has a very mild manifestation of it and Anderson has a very severe manifestation of it,” said Dr. Wright. “I lovingly, and I mean lovingly, consider Anderson my cardiology grandbaby.”
- Ellen Smead, certified nurse-midwife, spoke to Parents about how to encourage baby to move during pregnancy. “Having a snack is a good idea, especially if you have gestational diabetes,” said Smead. “Gently nudging your belly can also encourage movement. Sometimes, you can easily feel a foot pushing out, and giving it a nudge causes a reflex response.”
- Omoikhefe Akhigbe, M.D., OBGYN and practice medical director, spoke to The Bump about the first prenatal visit. Dr. Akhigbe said it’s important to ask, “when and where to call for an urgent question, what constitutes an emergency, what is an urgent question and what is a routine question that could probably wait for normal business hours.” She also recommended discussing how many providers you’ll see, and which doctor is most likely to deliver baby.
- William Chu, M.D., urgent care pediatrician and practice medical director, spoke to KPRC-TV, the Houston, Texas, NBC affiliate, about what viruses are on the rise. “Strep is something that we see year-round, but definitely right now, we’re seeing a lot of strep,” said Dr. Chu. “We’ve seen a big uptick in the flu virus, and we’re also seeing a lot of RSV virus and starting to see a couple cases of Croup as well.”
- Kyle Graham, M.D., OBGYN, spoke to First for Women about balancing vaginal pH. “Typically, vaginal pH is self-regulatory,” said Dr. Graham. “However, there are certain things that can throw off or destabilize the pH.” During menopause, “it can help to maintain a healthy pH by replacing the estrogen the vagina lacks after menopause. And since treatment is localized, it avoids the systemic side effects as well.”
To view additional stories, visit the Pediatrix newsroom.
Members of the media, we invite you to view our multispecialty media panel and request an expert source via communications@pediatrix.com.