Pediatrix Clinicians in the News

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 popular and trending 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:

Zachary Hoy, M.D., pediatric infectious disease specialist, spoke with Parade about the recent rise in HMPV cases in China and India. "HMPV stands for human metapneumovirus, which is a respiratory virus typically seen in the winter season," said Dr. Hoy. “It is in the same family as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and can cause many similar symptoms.” While HMPV infection most commonly results in a cold, some patient populations are more susceptible to severe symptoms. "In younger children or children with compromised immune systems it can sometimes cause bronchiolitis, which is a lower respiratory tract infection that may require a patient to be seen in the emergency room and started on oxygen," noted Dr. Hoy.

Suzy Lipinski, M.D., obstetrician-gynecologist, spoke with Well + Good about the causes of nipple pain outside of pregnancy. One is breast infection, which is often due to mastitis. “It will start as a red, swollen area on the breast, and then [cause you to] develop a fever and body aches or chills. You will feel like you have the flu,” said Dr. Lipinski. Another is a yeast infection called thrush, which is passed on to mom from baby’s mouth during breastfeeding. “[Thrush] don’t typically cause flu-like symptoms but can cause stabbing, needle-like pain during breastfeeding,” said Dr. Lipinski. 

Jenelle Ferry, M.D., neonatologist, spoke with Parents about whether infants can safely sleep on their sides. Even if an infant can roll over on their side, experts say they should always be put to sleep on their back. “The ‘Back to Sleep’ campaign that began in 1994 (and was renamed to Safe to Sleep in 2012) has been one of the single largest contributors to decreasing the risk of sleep-related infant deaths,” said Dr. Ferry. Risks of side sleeping include sudden infant death syndrome and positional torticollis. “Torticollis is a condition caused by a tightening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in the neck, which results in the turning of the head to one side and tilting it to the other, and sometimes limits full rotation of the neck,” explained Dr. Ferry. 

Dr. Hoy also spoke to Parents about how to prevent RSV. One way is to stay home when sick. “RSV is one of the more contagious infections, and typically everyone in a household gets it if one of the family members has it,” said Dr. Hoy. Limiting exposure to others when someone in your household is sick is also an important method of prevention.

Several clinicians spoke with The Bump: 

Tania Lopez, CNM, certified nurse-midwife, spoke about the benefits of having a midwife. She shared that a midwife offers preconception, prenatal and postpartum care, and that midwifery has evolved with advancements in medicine. “As birth moved into hospital settings, it became a requirement for midwives to complete registered nurse training and subsequent obstetrical training specifically for labor and delivery,” said Lopez. Today, all midwives must be trained and certified before they can practice. Lopez noted the benefits of choosing a midwife include having a personalized plan created, better birth outcomes and more natural approaches.

Robert Quillin, M.D., pediatrician, spoke about baby bath thermometers. A multipurpose thermometer that monitors both the water and room temperature is ideal. Dr. Quillin shared that this dual function is important because even if your bath water starts at the perfect temperature, a cool room can quickly cause the water to drop by a few degrees. He noted that the ideal room temperature for bathtime is around 76 to 78°F. While a thermometer can help simplify bathtime, Dr. Quillin noted that caregivers can also check for safe water temperature using their elbow or the back of their hands.

Julie Charlton, CNM, certified nurse-midwife, spoke about the differences between a first and second pregnancy, one of them being increased pain and pressure. “The abdominal muscles and uterine ligaments have become more lax and don’t support the growing uterus as they did with the first pregnancy,” said Charlton. “The ligaments that attach to the uterus—notably the round ligaments located on either side of the lower abdomen and the broad ligament that attaches to the sacrum bone—tend to become more bothersome for second-time moms,” explained Charlton. Another difference is feeling baby move sooner because of those weakened muscles. “The movements can seem more vigorous and at times painful since the abdominal wall and muscles are more relaxed, allowing baby more freedom of movement,” said Charlton.

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 email.