Pediatrics in Practice

Maternal stress, while natural and common, can lead to adverse health outcomes. Based on her research, Shilpa Babbar, MD, OB/Gyn-Maternal and Fetal Medicine at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, describes mind-body therapies and interventions, such as muscle relaxation, biofeedback, tai chi, yoga, meditation, mindfulness and hypnosis, which may be effective during pregnancy and postpartum care.

Prevalence of depression, anxiety and ADHD continues to rise in the pediatric and adolescent population. Effective therapies are available for each of these conditions, although medication management can sometimes be problematic in the primary care setting. In this podcast, Ram Chettiar, DO, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, reviews current data on these conditions, discusses strategies for evaluation, and shares recommendations for treatment.

Whether it’s on the practice field or under the lights on Friday night, when kids play sports, injuries can occur. Unlike adults, their brains and bodies are still growing and developing, even when they’re playing sports at an elite level. The care that coaches, athletic trainers, and EMS personnel provide at the time of injury is crucial and oftentimes, emergent. Dr. Roberson will highlight ways in which effective collaboration and timely, evidence-based management of sports-related injuries correlates with positive outcomes for athletes and their families.

In this podcast, Dr. Krasaelap explains the brain-gut connection and what can happen when this is dysregulated. Listen as she describes misconceptions about abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and treatment options that exist – including the novel, FDA-approved auricular neurostimulator device.

In this podcast, Christopher Oermann, MD, Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Care Center at Children's Mercy Kansas City, discusses the current state of cystic fibrosis, developments and research underway, and how primary care providers can partner in managing the overall health of patients with cystic fibrosis.

Human trafficking often seems like a far-off crime in a movie that couldn’t possibly be happening in our communities. However, it’s far more common in the United States than people realize. Moreover, many trafficking victims (88%) have sought health care at some point while they were being trafficked, but very few victims are recognized by health care workers. Historically, trafficking victims were misidentified as drug addicts, prostitutes, “bad kids”, homeless patients, victims of domestic violence, mentally ill, etc. and we failed to recognize the exploitation occurring to the person in our care. Rachel and Heidi will touch on what signs of human trafficking to look for in the health care setting, how to report it, and why it’s so vital for us to speak up when we see something that seems “off”.

Created by a multidisciplinary team of pediatric experts, the Children's Mercy Ped's Guide App puts evidence-based resources—dose recommendations, drip calculations, resuscitation guides and more—right at your fingertips. Listen as Brandan Kennedy, MD, discusses the app, its features, and the evidenced-based resources behind it.

The Thyroid Nodule and Carcinoma Clinic at Children’s Mercy Kansas City is the only pediatric clinic of its kind in the region to provide the comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of thyroid nodules and differentiated carcinoma.

In this episode, Naim Mitre, MD, Pediatric Endocrinologist and Medical Director of the Thyroid Nodule and Carcinoma Clinic at Children's Mercy, discusses the incidence of thyroid cancer in children, how thyroid nodules are diagnosed, and the importance of treatment.

Endocrine disorders, specifically for pediatric patients, pose complex considerations in care based on the type of disorder and an individual’s course of therapy. For this reason, Children’s Mercy manages programs across the region, providing endocrinology care from western Kansas to south central Missouri. When a pediatric patient with an endocrine disorder requires emergency assistance in the pre-hospital setting, rapid intervention is necessary. In this segment, Children’s Mercy Endocrinologist, Dr. Ryan McDonough, will offer life-saving guidance on treating this population of pediatric patients.

Pamela Nicklaus, MD, FACS, discusses protocols surrounding common ENT cases and referrals, difficulties that may arise, options for families, and therapies/support.