Radio Rounds

Pediatric cardiologists at the St. Louis Children’s and Washington University Heart Center care for more children with heart disease than any other center in the region. With extensive experience treating children with common to complex heart issues, from cardiac surgeries and cardiac catheterizations to heart monitoring, our heart specialists are the region’s go-to heart program for second opinions and referrals for advanced pediatric heart care.Dr. Caroline Lee joins the show to discuss how the Heart Center’s continuum of care, and when to refer a patient to a specialist.

Devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic include increases in opioid misuse and related overdoses, as well as the rising incidence of newborns experiencing withdrawal syndrome due to opioid use and abuse during pregnancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 130 people in America-- or one person every 11 minutes-- dies everyday due to accidental misuse of these drugs. Dr. AuBuchon joins the show to discuss this serious national crisis, and what pediatricians and other heath care providers can do to help combat this deadly addiction.

The Centers for Disease Control recently linked a current lung disease outbreak to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vape devices. These devices have rapidly become the most common tobacco products used by teens, driven in large part by marketing and advertising by e-cigarette companies that market the products’ convenience of use and flavor variety. Now, however, the use of these unregulated products is landing many kids in the emergency rooms of hospitals across the country with serious lung illnesses.Dr. Ferkol joins the show to discuss the current outbreak, when a child should be seen for treatment, as well as recommendations for pediatricians and pediatric health care providers to combat tobacco use in all forms.

The neurorehabilitation program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital is designed to address the needs of children and adolescents who have suffered severe injury or illness. In-patient rehabilitation is available for children age 6 months and older whose illness or injury has resulted in impaired physical, cognitive or communication skills.Michael Noetzel, MD, Washington University pediatric neurologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, joins the show to discuss how the neurorehabilitation program strives to maximize physical, psychological, cognitive, social and educational outcomes for children with a variety of neurologic conditions.

Earlier this month, St. Louis Children's Hospital welcomed Trish Lollo, former president of Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, as its new president. Listen as Trish gives a glimpse into the journey that led her to St Louis, and her vision for St. Louis Children's Hospital.

Traditionally, cochlear implants are only provided to children with severe-to-profound hearing loss in both ears. At St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the cochlear implant program is one of the only in the area—and one of few in the nation—providing cochlear implants to children with single-sided deafness. Bernadette Rakszawski, pediatric audiologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, joins the show to discuss how her team is leading the way in assessing the impact of single-sided deafness, as well as understanding how various treatment options affect expected outcomes.

A normal spine, when viewed from behind appears straight. However, a spine affected by kyphosis shows evidence of a forward curvature of the vertebrae in the upper back area, giving the child an abnormally rounded or "humpback" appearance. Children whose curvature exceeds a limited range of variation - curving forward in a “C” shape- will require medical attention and may be diagnosed with kyphosis. Together with scoliosis, another type of curvature, this condition comprises a significant proportion of spinal deformity diagnoses seen by pediatric orthopedists.Dr. Munish Gupta joins the show to discuss the importance of early detection, treatments, and follow-up care for children diagnosed with kyphosis.

The St. Louis Children’s Hospital Department of Therapy Services provides occupational, physical and speech therapy within an individualized state-of-the-art model of care in conjunction with world class physicians and medical practices. As a highly trained pediatric team with an international reputation for excellence, the staff tailors therapy to each child's developmental stage and individual needs for the most effective results. Now, pediatricians, patients and families have the convenience of accessing these services at a new location near Progress West Hospital.Sarah Becker, speech language pathologist, joins the show to discuss services offered and when a pediatrician should refer a patient to a therapy specialist.

Good sleep is essential to a child's health and well-being, but not all kids get the recommended amount that their bodies need. For issues that require care from a specialist, the Sleep Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, meets the highest possible standards for comprehensive sleep care for newborns to young adults. Dr. James Kemp explains how our newly-expanded sleep lab is designed just for kids and is fully equipped with the latest equipment and the staff is fully trained in a wide array of sleep disorders in children.

As kids continue to focus on one sport early on and playing it year-round, sometimes on multiple teams at once, overuse injuries have increased dramatically over the past decade.Tom McGowan discusses how The Washington University and St. Louis Children's Young Athlete Center has developed a series of interactive injury prevention and educational programs designed to improve the overall health of young athletes.

In the final segment of this 3-part series on Cannabinoid Use in Pediatrics, Dr. Jennifer Griffith discusses addressing parents’ concerns and other frequently asked questions about the use of cannabinoids for childhood conditions or illnesses.

In Part 2 of our 3 part series on Cannabinoid Use in Pediatrics, Dr. Jennifer Griffith, a Washington University Pediatric neurologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital discusses the case study that started the national conversation over the use of cannabinoids to treat pediatric epilepsy patients, and the clinical trials that were conducted as a result.

Although marijuana and its derivatives are currently Schedule 1 substances per the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), many states have relaxed their legislation to allow use. In this 3 part series on Cannabinoid Use in Pediatrics, Jennifer Griffith, MD, PhD discusses how more recently, the use of cannabidiol (CBD) products in pediatrics has sparked additional debate, and pediatric providers have started encountering patients experimenting with these products in their daily practice, necessitating an understanding of the history and available medical literature on this topic.

Many young athletes are unprepared to fully participate in sports without risk of injury. Paul Jenkins PT, MSPT, OCS shares that whether an athlete has decreased strength following an injury, has had surgery, or just lacks optimal strength and coordination, the Washington University and St. Louis Children's Hospital Young Athlete Center Bridge Program is designed to "bridge" the gap between where a young athlete currently is, and where they want to be.

Fetal surgery for myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida, is an extremely delicate surgical procedure where fetal surgeons open the uterus and close the opening in the baby's back while they are still in the womb. Fetal spina bifida surgery is shown to offer significantly better results than traditional repair after birth. Because spinal cord damage is progressive during gestation, prenatal repair of myelomeningocele may prevent further damage.Mothers carrying a baby with myelomeningocele who choose fetal surgery for spina bifida require the most expert and carefully managed care. Dr. Bebbington, a leading fetal interventionist with 15 years of experience in open fetal surgery and fetoscopic-based interventions, joins the show to discuss comprehensive care for families that spans their needs while their babies are still inside the uterus, through labor and delivery, the NICU and then for years to come.

The pediatric orthopedic program at St. Louis Children’s is one of the largest in the Midwest, caring for nearly 30,000 pediatric patients each year. Staying at the forefront of this care means adapting to differing methods by which patients and families receive our services. Consequently, Washington University Physicians and St. Louis Children’s Hospital are continuously improving and creating new access points to meet the changing needs of our orthopedic patients. From therapy and surgical services, to sports medicine and emergency room coverage for orthopedic injuries, Dr. Goldfarb joins the show to discuss where your patients can access pediatric orthopedic services by expert orthopedic physicians.

Congenital scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that is caused by a defect that was present at birth. It occurs in only 1 in 10,000 newborns and is much less common than the type of scoliosis that begins in adolescence. Even though congenital scoliosis is present at birth, it is sometimes impossible to see any spine problems until a child reaches adolescence.Dr. Gupta joins the show to explain more about congenital scoliosis and when to refer to a specialist.

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a rare, serious condition that can occur in pregnancies when identical twins share a placenta. Abnormal blood vessel connections form in the placenta and allow blood to flow unevenly between the babies. One twin ? called the donor – becomes dehydrated; and the other ? called the recipient ? develops high blood pressure and produces too much urine and over fills the amniotic sac. Without treatment, this condition can be fatal for both twins. Dr. Bebbington, a leading fetal interventionist with 15 years of experience in open fetal surgery and fetoscopic-based interventions, joins the show to discuss twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and why fetal surgery is sometimes necessary to save one or both babies.

CARE (Clinic for Acceptance, Recovery, and Empowerment) in pregnancy is one of only two programs in St. Louis that offer prenatal care, substance abuse treatment and extended postpartum support for pregnant women facing the challenges of an opioid use disorder. Hayley Friedman, MD and Jeannie Kelly, MD, discuss how personalized treatment plans help support the well being of mother and child not just during pregnancy, but for at least one full year postpartum.

As St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University pediatricians continue to expand pediatric services within our communities, patients and families are now provided with even more options to access the expertise of Washington University pediatric doctors. Mark Lowe, MD, PhD discusses the recent openings of two multispecialty center locations in Arnold, Mo, and Shiloh, Il.