Pediatrics Now: Cases Updates and Discussions for the Busy Pediatric Practitioner

Episode 30: From Foodborne Outbreaks to Rabies: What Pediatricians Need to Know
https://cmetracker.net/UTHSCSA/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/getCertificate/10103176
 
FACULTY:Deena Sutter, MD, Colonel (retired), United States Air Force, joined the faculty after retiring from the Air Force in December 2020, after 21 years of service.
 
OVERVIEW:
Dr. Deena Sutter joins Pediatrics Now to explain the current cyclospora outbreak, how testing and PCR panels detect cases, and practical food-safety steps for families – especially for young or immunocompromised children. She reviews the limits of washing produce, differences between prepackaged and whole-head lettuce, and the recommended treatment (trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole) when infection is confirmed.
The episode also covers rising local rabies concerns in Bexar County, high-risk animals (bats, skunks, foxes), when bites or exposures warrant post-exposure prophylaxis, and the importance of timely public-health reporting and vaccination. Practical advice for pediatricians and families on prevention, testing, and when to seek care is provided throughout.
 
OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers
 
DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Deena Sutter, MD has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.     
 
The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
 
The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.RELEASE DATE:8/14/2026
EXPIRATION DATE:8/31/2028
 

Episode 29: Treating Teen Obesity: A National Leader in Bariatric Surgery on GLP-1 vs. Surgery
https://cmetracker.net/UTHSCSA/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/getCertificate/10103150
 
FACULTY:Richard Peterson, MD is a Professor and serves as the Chief of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery for UT Health San Antonio and is the medical director of the Christus Weight Loss Institute at Westover Hills.
 
OVERVIEW:
Host Holly Wayment sits down with Dr. Richard Peterson to unpack the shifting landscape of pediatric obesity care. Dr. Peterson explains why GLP-1 medications have driven down bariatric surgery volumes — and why surgery still offers the most durable outcomes for obesity and its complications. He walks through updated pediatric referral criteria, compares results across medication and surgical pathways, and outlines when a combined or individualized approach makes the most sense.
 
For pediatricians, the takeaways are practical: recognize obesity as a disease, partner with obesity specialists, navigate insurance and access barriers, and intervene early to improve long-term outcomes for adolescents and their families.
 
The American Academy of Pediatrics released updated obesity guidelines in 2023 that moved away from the old “watchful waiting” approach. Under the new guidance, providers should offer weight-loss medications to patients age 12 and older with obesity, alongside lifestyle treatment, and patients 13 and older with severe obesity should be evaluated for bariatric surgery. Severe obesity is defined as a BMI at or above 120% of the 95th percentile for age and sex. Medication isn’t meant to be a first-line or standalone treatment — the AAP still supports intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment as the initial step in pediatric weight management. In a follow-up policy statement, the AAP called severe pediatric obesity an “epidemic within an epidemic” and urged that insurance cover surgery and follow-up care at high-quality multidisciplinary centers.
 
OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers
 
DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Richard Peterson, MD has disclosed he is a consultant for Teleflex/Standard Bariatrics, Medtronic, and Intuitive. The relevant financial relationships noted for Dr. Peterson have been mitigated.     
 
The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
 
The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.RELEASE DATE:8/12/2026
EXPIRATION DATE:8/31/2028
 

Episode 28: When to Quarantine: Criteria, Cases & Containment Strategies
https://cmetracker.net/UTHSCSA/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/getCertificate/10103131
 
FACULTY:Ted Cieslak, COL(Ret), United States Army is a pediatric infectious disease physician with over thirty years of experience in the field of Biosecurity.
 
OVERVIEW:
Host Holly Wayment brings you Grand Rounds. Dr. Ted Cieslak, a retired U.S. Army pediatric infectious disease physician and biosecurity expert, reviews the history and practice of quarantine, isolation, and biocontainment — covering BSL laboratory levels, the evolution from military to civilian containment units, transport isolation, criteria for admission, real activations (Ebola, early COVID-19 repatriations, Andes virus), and key legal, ethical, and pediatric considerations for managing highly hazardous communicable diseases.
 
OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers
 
DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Ted Cieslak, MD has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
 
The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
 
The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the activity, with individual assessments of the participant and feedback to the participant, enables the participant to earn 1.00 MOC point in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purposes of granting ABP MOC credit.
CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.RELEASE DATE:8/7/2026
EXPIRATION DATE:8/31/2028
 

Energy Drinks Can Damage a Healthy Heart; Plus When Anxiety Symptoms Are Really Cardiac
Link for CME Credit Coming Soon!
A recent case involving a teenage cheerleader’s death has prompted a closer look at energy drinks and cardiovascular risks in young people. Host Holly Wayment and pediatric cardiologist Dr. Elaine Maldonado discuss how high-caffeine and stimulant drinks—often marketed to teens and available in school vending machines or coffee bars—can trigger palpitations, chest pain, high blood pressure, and dangerous heart rhythms.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no role for caffeine in children; parents and pediatricians should watch for red flags (persistent rapid heartbeat, unexplained chest pain, fainting during exertion), counsel on sleep, hydration, and exercise, and offer safer alternatives to energy drinks.

Episode 26: Neurosurgery Update: Plagiocephaly vs. Craniosynostosis - When to Refer
https://cmetracker.net/UTHSCSA/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/getCertificate/10102806
 
FACULTY:Izabela Tarasiewicz, MD, is a professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at UT Health San Antonio.
 
OVERVIEW:
Host Holly Wayment talks with pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Izabela Tarasiewicz as she explains the difference between positional plagiocephaly (flat head) and craniosynostosis (premature suture fusion), and why early detection matters.
 
The episode covers the critical early treatment window (ideally by 3–4 months) to allow minimally invasive surgery, when helmet therapy is helpful, and why pediatricians should refer rather than order X-rays.
 
Practical takeaways: trust parental concern, refer early to a head-shape or craniofacial clinic, and know that prompt evaluation can prevent larger surgeries and improve developmental outcomes.
 
University Health Craniofacial Program
Claudia Galaviz, Cleft & Craniofacial Coordinator
(210)-743-1402
Referral Fax: (210)-358-8576
 
UT Health Cranial Remolding Program
Referrals can be sent to evaluate all head shape abnormalities
Phone:  (210) 450-9064
Fax: (210) 450-2150
 
OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers
 
DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Izabela Tarasiewicz, MD has disclosed she is a consultant for Aesculap, and Alafair. The relevant financial relationships noted for Dr. Tarasiewicz have been mitigated.     
 
The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members:Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
 
The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.
 
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 
CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.RELEASE DATE:7/2/2026
 
EXPIRATION DATE:8/31/2028
 
 
 

Not Just Food Poisoning: Salmonella in Young Infants Can Turn Deadly
Link for CME credit coming soon!
Host Holly Wayment speaks with the first doctor to be double boarded in neonatology and infectious disease: Dr. J.B. Cantey about salmonella in infants and children, emphasizing that salmonella gastroenteritis can quickly become invasive and life‑threatening in young babies.  There's been a recent uptick in Salmonella cases in the San Antonio area.
The episode reviews why infants are more vulnerable, current testing practices (including molecular stool panels), the importance of blood cultures before antibiotics, red flags for invasive disease, and typical treatment options.
Practical prevention and management tips are highlighted: hand hygiene, safe food preparation, caution with animal exposures, hydration strategies, and when to seek urgent care or consult pediatric infectious disease.

Let Babies Eat: New Guidelines to Prevent Food Allergies
FACULTY:David Stukus, MD is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and the Director of the Food Allergy Treatment Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Ohio State University College of Medicine.
 
OVERVIEW:
In this grand rounds episode of Pediatrics Now, host Holly Wayment brings us cutting-edge approaches to infant food introduction and allergy prevention, featuring Nationwide Children's Hospital's Dr. David Stukus .
 
Dr. Stukus delves into the history of infant feeding guidelines, the evolving scientific evidence, and practical strategies for pediatric practitioners.
Listeners will gain insights into the confusion caused by changing guidelines, the landmark LEAP trial's impact on peanut allergy prevention, and the importance of introducing allergenic foods early, based on evidence rather than outdated practices. The episode provides evidence-based recommendations to support parents, addressing common misconceptions and fears about food allergies.
 
Join the discussion to better understand the relationship between eczema and food allergies, how to effectively reassure and guide families during clinics, and strategies to help pediatric patients achieve diverse diets that minimize allergy risks. Learn how pediatricians play a crucial role in educating families and preventing unnecessary dietary restrictions that can lead to food allergies. This episode is a must-listen for any healthcare professional looking to navigate the complexities of infant nutrition and allergy prevention with clarity and confidence.
 
OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers
DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
David Stukus, MD has disclosed he is a researcher for DBV Technologies and was a consultant to ARS Pharmaceutical and Genentech. The relevant financial relationships noted for Dr. Stukus have been mitigated.
 
The Pediatric Grand Rounds Planning Committee (Deepak Kamat, MD, PhD, Steven Seidner, MD, Daniel Ranch, MD and Elizabeth Hanson, MD) has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
The UT Health Science Center San Antonio and Deepak Kamat, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:The UT Health Science Center San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.The UT Health Science Center San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the activity, with individual assessments of the participant and feedback to the participant, enables the participant to earn 0.75 MOC point in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit.
CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.RELEASE DATE:2/5/2025
EXPIRATION DATE:8/31/2027
 
 
 
 

Pediatric Grand Rounds: Heavy Menstrual Bleeding in Pediatric and Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Patients — A Pediatric Hematology Perspective
Speaker: Victoria E. Lehrmann, MD
Holly Wayment presents a Pediatrics Now Grand Rounds on evaluating heavy menstrual bleeding in adolescents: defining normal vs abnormal bleeding, recognizing red flags for inherited bleeding disorders, and reviewing common hematologic causes such as von Willebrand disease, platelet dysfunction, and hemophilia/carrier states.
The episode covers practical diagnostic tools (ISTH-BAT, PBAC), initial labs (pregnancy test, CBC, PT/PTT, fibrinogen, ferritin, and VWD testing), and interpretation caveats, plus acute and long-term management strategies (stabilization, hormonal therapy, tranexamic acid, iron repletion, IUDs) and the importance of multidisciplinary care.

 
Episode 23: Andes Hantavirus, Murine Typhus & Salmonella: Pediatric Infectious Disease Update
https://cmetracker.net/UTHSCSA/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/getCertificate/10102086
 
 
 
FACULTY:Deena Sutter, MD, Colonel (retired), United States Air Force, joined the faculty after retiring from the Air Force in December 2020, after 21 years of service.
 
OVERVIEW:
American passengers exposed to the rare Andes strain of hantavirus during a recent cruise are being monitored after one passenger tested positive, prompting renewed discussion about transmission risk, incubation periods, and practical guidance for clinicians. U.S. health officials are currently monitoring more than 40 people after possible exposure, though no confirmed U.S. cases have been reported.
 
In this episode, host Holly Wayment and pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Deena Sutter discuss what pediatricians should know about the evolving hantavirus story, including the rare potential for person-to-person spread associated with the Andes strain, current public health concerns, and how to counsel families without creating unnecessary alarm.
 
The conversation also explores infectious disease issues pediatricians are currently seeing in South Texas, including murine typhus, flea-borne illness, and a recent salmonella uptick in San Antonio.
 
OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers
 
DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Deena Sutter, MD has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
 
The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
 
The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.
 
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the activity, with individual assessments of the participant and feedback to the participant, enables the participant to earn 0.75 MOC point in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purposes of granting ABP MOC credit.
 
CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.RELEASE DATE:6/23/2026
 
EXPIRATION DATE:8/31/2028
 
 

Host Holly Wayment brings us Houston spine surgeon Rex Marco who, after a terrible cycling accident , faced  life-changing paralysis to recovery through mindfulness, the RAIN method, and radical acceptance.   He describes what happened to him and how in one moment everything can change. His work now explores how compassion, mindfulness, and vulnerability can reshape how we live, lead, and heal.
In 2019, Dr. Marco sustained a C3–4 fracture-dislocation in a cycling accident, resulting in C2 quadriplegia. Today, he serves as the Chief Medical Ambassador for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, advocating for research, cure, and improved quality of life for individuals living with spinal cord injury. He is also a certified mindfulness meditation teacher and is passionate about integrating resilience, presence, and emotional healing into medicine, leadership, and life. He's known for creative and transformative teaching and shares that his most profound transformation came through recovery, where he confronted longstanding patterns in how he related to himself and others. 
This episode explores how he says acceptance, gratitude, and recovery programs transformed his leadership, clinical practice, and family life, offering actionable tools for cultivating presence and emotional safety.
Dr. Rex Marco is an internationally recognized orthopedic spine and musculoskeletal oncology surgeon whose career has centered on caring for patients with complex spinal disorders and tumors. He completed his undergraduate studies at UC Irvine and conducted research at the National Institutes of Health through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute before earning his medical degree from the UCLA School of Medicine. He went on to complete surgical training at Virginia Mason Medical Center, orthopedic residency at UC Davis, and dual fellowships in musculoskeletal oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and reconstructive spine surgery at Rush University.
Dr. Marco has held leadership roles at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and UTHealth Houston, where he serves as Spine Fellowship Director.