Category: Pediatrics

A child psychiatrist on Sarah Silverman’s The Bedwetter

As a child psychiatrist, it was such a pleasure to see a play about a child who suffers psychologically and finds a way to heal that does not require an epic quest, a magical ability,  becoming a princess, or even fixing the problem itself. Sarah Silve…

Creating community solutions for children’s health

Every year, I celebrate and mourn when I officially left my primary care pediatric practice full of patients and parents that I loved to launch my non-profit, Teach a Kid to Fish. May 31, 2008, was the last day of my practice. Had I known what I was in…

Why the baby formula shortage happened

By the end of April 2022, nearly 40 percent of the country’s baby formula ran out of stock, leading to a major baby formula shortage in the United States. The plummeting availability of baby formula has left parents and caregivers anxious as they…

A dead baby in my arms

Five days before this story begins, where everything is upside down, and the end is the beginning. Me, standing in my PICU, slowly approaching that cradle, then removing the medication, one by one, turning off the syringe pumps. Saying out loud the num…

What feelings stir up inside us when we hear of a child’s death?

I wondered if this post needs a trigger warning. Maybe it does. I don’t know now. What feelings stir up inside us when we hear of a child’s death? My first experience with a child dying in front of me was soon after medical school graduatio…

It’s time to flip the script on peer evaluations [PODCAST]

“It’s time to flip the script on evaluations. How can we shine a light upon the strengths of the wonderful peers we are blessed to work with? How can we amplify their greatness, help them work in their own zone of genius? How can we recognize tha…

Is there more to patient safety than preventing medical error?

I cry often enough that my kids almost gleefully expect it, checking me for tears during movies or shows, shaking their heads in mock dismay when they see that their prediction is correct. I’ve cried many times at home, watching screens, reading …

Gender inequality is making burnout worse [PODCAST]

“If we want to alleviate the fatigue and frustration women physicians are experiencing, we can always start by solving two old problems: (1) All doctors need fewer bureaucratic tasks forced upon them, and (2) women physicians must be able to work…

The conundrum of feeding our minds and our babies

In 2022, you might have never envisioned that the United States of America would be among other countries struggling to feed its babies. As of the first week of May, more than 40 percent of formula brands are out of stock, and many families are despera…

When it comes to feeding infants, support is best

Breast is best. Fed is best Informed is best. Fed is first. What really is best and first when it comes to infant feeding: support. Support is best. Whether we are talking about infant feeding or frankly anything else related to postpartum or the fourt…