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:

Chris Klunk, M.D., neonatologist, spoke with The Bump about the scientific explanations behind the unique smell of a newborn baby. One reason is aiding in parental bonding. A 2013 study discovered that the new baby smell can strengthen a mother’s positive feelings towards her baby. “Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brains of women exposed to baby smell demonstrated a response in areas of the brain tied to reward mechanisms, supporting the long-believed notion that infant smell plays a role in maternal bonding,” explained Dr. Klunk. “Inversely, infants are similarly drawn towards their mothers through the identification of their unique smells,” he added.

Dr. Klunk also spoke with Babylist about how to keep baby safe during bathtime, including using a bathtub that’s specially designed for infants. "It can be hard to keep an infant properly positioned in an adult bathtub, and devices [like infant bath seats] designed to hold them upright or position them in full-size tubs run the risk of tipping over,” said Dr. Klunk. He also shared that setting the right water temperature is key. "The goal here is water that is warm to the touch," he said. "Babies don't have the best ability to maintain their temperature and tend to get cold and hot easily.” 

Kyle Graham, M.D., obstetrician-gynecologist and practice medical director, spoke with Parents about postpartum incontinence. A new study found that 85% of new mothers experience frequent bladder leaks, but only 15% have received treatment for the condition. Dr. Graham shared that given the vast spectrum of symptoms, it's not uncommon for people to have different responses. "Embarrassment, frustration and lack of confidence are topics we discuss during office visits," he explained. Additionally, it can interfere with day-to-day happenings since those with the condition constantly need to locate restrooms, he said. "They also can develop a reluctance to partake in their usual social activities.”

Zachary Hoy, M.D., pediatric infectious disease specialist, spoke with Parade about this season’s second flu peak, which has significantly impacted children under the age of five. "There are typically multiple flu strains circulating each respiratory season, so there can be multiple peaks in one season," explained Dr. Hoy. "The best way to protect against the flu is getting the season flu vaccine,” he said. "It has multiple vaccine strains and is based on prediction models of most likely strains and can prevent getting the flu or decrease the likelihood of severe disease or death from the flu." 

Jenelle Ferry, M.D., neonatologist, spoke with BabyCenter about breast milk imbalances, which can occur when a baby is getting mostly foremilk and not enough hindmilk. Dr. Ferry shared that the fatty substances in hindmilk generally take more time to digest than foremilk, which moves quicker through the baby’s digestive system. Sometimes, if a baby gets too much foremilk, the digestion process happens so quickly that the system doesn’t get enough time to break down and digest all that lactose in the foremilk, added Dr. Ferry. Then, “the undigested lactose goes to the large intestine, where it can create a lot of gas (the sugar essentially gets fermented in the large intestine).” In addition to gas, fussiness and foamy, watery or greenish poops can also be signs of an imbalance, said Dr. Ferry. 

Tania Lopez, CNM, certified nurse-midwife, spoke with WellnessPulse about home births, which are on the rise. She shared that parents may choose a home birth for a variety of reasons, including feeling safer, trying to avoid acquiring infections from a hospital setting and the overall comfort of delivering at home, which Lopez said can help labor and birth progress naturally. “Home is a known, comfortable environment where the woman may feel more calm and less restricted,” she explained. “In light of higher-than-expected maternal mortality rates, many women feel that exposing themselves to the hospital setting or medical establishments may actually increase their risk for adverse outcomes.”

Todd Zimmerman, D.O., pediatric emergency medicine physician, spoke with Parents about new research that showed an increase in exposure to caffeine energy products in children and teens from 2011 to 2023. While children’s exposures were mostly unintentional, teens ages 13-19 were more likely to be hospitalized for it and more than half of the exposures were intentional. Almost all the suspected suicide attempts associated with exposure also occurred in this age group. Dr. Zimmerman shared that it’s important for parents to recognize the signs that a child or teen is suicidal, which include withdrawal from previously enjoyed activities like sports and spending time with friends; sudden behavior changes; getting into trouble at school; lower grades; and changes in sleep patterns. “Let your children know that caffeine is actually a chemically active drug and that if it is not used responsibly, it can be very dangerous and cause serious and severe health problems," said Dr. Zimmerman.

To view additional news stories, visit the Pediatrix newsroom. 

Members of the media, we invite you to view our multispecialty media panel and request an expert source.