Primary Care Perspectives

Hearing Loss Comorbidities (Episode 208)

Many people do not know the difference between the terms deaf, Deaf, and Hard of Hearing, so in this episode we discuss the diverse landscape of hearing loss. Michael Hoffman, PhD and Matthew E. Fasano-McCarron, PsyD, discuss why some comorbidities may be more common in patients with hearing loss and some of the challenges in making diagnoses of comorbidities such as autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability. We also discuss the impact of language deprivation on the brain and how it impacts development, particularly psychosocial functioning. For more information on services for hearing loss and speech disorders offered at CHOP, visit the Center for Childhood Communication. 

Helmet Heroes: A pediatric resident advocacy project on bike helmet education and distribution (Episode 207)

Pediatric residents, Drs. Kelly McNult and Colleen Lynch, explain how they created an advocacy project related to bike helmets inspired by their personal experiences with patients and the loss of a colleague, Dr. Barbara Friedes. In this episode they not only explore how to execute an advocacy project as a resident but also teach us more about the effectiveness of bike helmets, how to ensure helmets fit, and other bike helmet anticipatory guidance. 

Peanut Allergy Prevention: What we have learned from early introduction (Episode 206)

In the early 2000’s pediatricians recommended delaying the introduction of highly allergenic foods, like peanut, but we saw that the rates of peanut allergy continued to rise. However, the 2015 LEAP trial showed that early introduction was better. In fact, the LEAP trial found an 81% decrease in peanut allergies by age 5 in children who had an early introduction. In this episode, Stanislaw J. Gabryszewski, MD, PhD, discusses what we have learned in the decade since the LEAP trial and explains his recent study on how these guidelines have impacted the rates of peanut allergies in children. 

Pediatric Dentistry and Sleep Disorders (Episode 205)

In this episode, Andrew Cohen, DMD, who is board certified in dental sleep medicine and a comprehensive restorative dentist, explains how anatomy, behavior, and overall health impacts sleep-related breathing. We discuss common issues like mouth-breathing, teeth grinding, thumb-sucking, and extended pacifier use and how these impact dental health and sleep. For more information, visit the CHOP Sleep Center.

 

Opinions expressed in this episode are those of Andrew Cohen, DMD, and not necessarily representative of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Pediatric Asthma in Viral Season (Episode 204)

We learned a lot about pediatric asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic, including how significant the impact of viruses is on causing asthma flares. In this episode, Shikha Saxena, MD, from our Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Pulmonary Asthma Program, and Pulmonology and Allergy Personalized Asthma (PAPA) Clinic, discusses ways to help keep asthma in good control through the viral season. We discuss when to use inhaled corticosteroids, school-based management approaches, and navigating insurance coverage challenges. Also, Dr. Saxena reinforces the importance of getting a flu shot!

Football Protective Equipment and Concussion Risk (Episode 203)

Can you reduce the risk of concussion through specialized protective equipment? In this episode, two of our Minds Matter Concussion Program experts, Kristy Arbogast, PhD, and Christina Master, MD, FAAP, CAQSM, FACSM, FAMSSM, discuss whether the specialized equipment used by NFL players has evidence in pediatric athletes. We also learn other ways that parents, coaches, and trainers can mitigate concussion risk and how we can keep young athletes safe. This episode is a mix of physics and physical education classes, and you are certain to learn a lot about football protective equipment!

Oral Immunotherapy (Episode 202)

Imagine intentionally eating an allergen to re-teach your immune system to overcome this allergy? That's what our CHOP Allergists are doing in the Oral Immunotherapy Program and it is life changing science in practice! In this episode, Antonella Cianferoni, MD, PhD, explains oral immunotherapy including the immunologic process, the logistics for patients, and managing the risk of anaphylaxis. A great episode for providers and families!

SUDC: Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (Episode 201)

Less well known that SIDS, SUDC is a category of death for a child 12 months of age or older that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation. In this episode, Richard Goldstein, MD, Director of the Roberts Program on Sudden Unexplained Death in Pediatrics and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, teaches us more about SUDC including possible causes, how to navigate this diagnosis with families, and where the research is leading us. 

200th Episode Anniversary Special: 9 years of medical education podcasting at CHOP

A special surprise guest joins us for the 200th episode anniversary! In this episode we explore why CHOP started a medical education podcast, how topics/guests are chosen, and what impact the podcast has had on listeners. Get behind-the-scenes with host and creator, Katie Lockwood, MD, MEd, and learn about the important role of podcasting in medical education. 

Poison Control: Celebrating 40 years of poison prevention at CHOP

This year the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Poison Control Center celebrates it's 40th anniversary! In this episode, Fred Henretig, MD, one of the founders of the Poison Control Center reviews the history of how the Center came to be and it's role in keeping children safe and healthy in 2025. Robert Bassett, DO, teaches us about how the Poison Control Center operates and what the most common poisoning threats are today and how to prevent them. Meanwhile, Katie Lockwood, MD, MEd, shares that her family has called, so make sure you have 1-800-222-1222 saved in your phone and listen to this fascinating episode for more tips on poison prevention!