The Health Benefits of Recess for Kids
Charting Pediatrics
When adults look back on school, they often remember more than lessons and worksheets. They remember recess — the playground, movement, friendships, laughter and freedom. Yet in many schools today, recess can be one of the most negotiable parts of the school day. It may be shortened, delayed or withheld in favor of academics, structure or behavior management. But research continues to show that recess is far more than a break. Regular opportunities for play and movement support children’s physical health, mental well-being, social development, and ability to learn. Pediatricians are...
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Childhood Leukemia in Primary Care
Charting Pediatrics
Some of the most serious diagnoses in pediatrics begin with common pediatric symptoms. A child comes in looking pale or with a febrile illness. They’ve been more tired than usual. Maybe they’re bruising easily or complaining their legs hurt. Individually, none of these symptoms are unusual. Together, or with persistence, they can tell a different story. Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, but it’s earliest signs often resemble everyday illnesses. The episode introduces , a pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospital Colorado and faculty member at the University...
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Pediatric Tick Bite Management
Charting Pediatrics
Tick bites used to be a seasonal nuisance, something you might mention briefly at a well visit in late spring. But that’s no longer the reality. With emergency department visits for tick bites climbing to their highest levels in nearly a decade and tick populations expanding into new regions, pediatricians are now seeing the ripple effects of a changing environment in real time. In this episode, we break down what’s driving this surge, how to approach tick bites in clinic, and what’s new in our understanding of tick-borne illness — including important updates on alpha-gal syndrome...
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Evaluating Precocious Puberty
Charting Pediatrics
Puberty doesn’t always follow the expected timeline. What happens when it shows up ahead of schedule? For pediatricians, the early appearance of breast development, pubic hair or accelerated growth can trigger a cascade of questions. Is this a normal variant? Should we investigate further? When is it time to refer? In this episode, we unpack the complexities of precocious puberty and explore how timely identification and thoughtful management can make a lasting difference for kids and their families. To create clarity, we are joined by , and Clare Parker, MD. Dr. Hsu specializes in...
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First 1,000 Days of Brain Building
Charting Pediatrics
A child’s future begins long before the first words, first steps or even the first smile. In the span of just 1,000 days, billions of neural connections are formed, and the foundation for lifelong health, learning, and resilience quietly takes shape. Pediatricians understand the critical nature of early development, and they translate that message to parents, helping guide, nurture, recognize risk and shape outcomes that can last decades. To explore this fascinating time in a child’s life, we are joined by two experts. , and , both specialize in developmental and behavioral...
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When is a Curve a Sign of Scoliosis?
Charting Pediatrics
The human spine is designed to support, balance and adapt through a lifetime of growth. But what happens when that growth starts to bend in an unexpected direction? Scoliosis often emerges during periods of rapid development, turning what should be a normal growth spurt into a race against progression. The challenge isn’t just finding the curve. It’s predicting what that curve will do next. To explore the latest in scoliosis care, we are joined by . He specializes in orthopedic surgery and is the Medical Director of the spine center at Children’s Hospital Colorado. He is a...
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Helping Parents With Discipline
Charting Pediatrics
When most people hear the word “discipline”, they think consequences, punishments or stopping bad behavior in the moment. But what if we’ve been thinking about discipline too narrowly? We are reframing discipline in toddlers through a completely different lens. One rooted in connection, development and emotional regulation. Because toddler “misbehavior” isn’t usually about manipulation or defiance. More often, it’s communication. To help us create developmentally appropriate expectations, we are joined by two experts. , specializes in child psychology here at...
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Making Sense of BRUE
Charting Pediatrics
It’s one of the most unsettling calls a pediatrician can get: a baby who turned blue, stopped breathing or suddenly went limp, only to appear completely normal moments later. Welcome to the clinical gray zone of BRUE (Brief Resolved Unexplained Event). It sits at the intersection of alarm and ambiguity, where the history is often dramatic, but your clinical exam is reassuring. We are going to go beyond the definition and into real-life decisions that you have to make on the phone and in the office. From risk stratification to avoiding unnecessary testing, we break down what actually matters...
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New Drowning Prevention Guidance
Charting Pediatrics
For many families, water represents joy, summer afternoons, swimming lessons, beach vacations, backyard pools and time spent together. But in pediatrics, we also know that water can become dangerous in seconds, often quietly and without warning. Drowning remains one of the leading causes of preventable death in children, and recent updates from the American Academy of Pediatrics reinforce that prevention must be layered, proactive and tailored. In this episode, we explore how pediatricians can support drowning prevention, because some of the...
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Atypical Anorexia: Looking Beyond the Scale
Charting Pediatrics
What if the patient you’re least worried about is the one most at risk? In pediatrics, we’re trained to look for red flags such as low weight, failing growth curves and visible signs of malnutrition. But atypical anorexia challenges that instinct. These patients may sit comfortably on the growth chart, or even above it, while experiencing the same dangerous behaviors and medical instability as those with classic anorexia. In this episode, we rethink what we’ve been taught to look for. We explore how...
info_outlineBefore the Friday night lights and before the season even begins, there’s one appointment that can determine athletic eligibility: the pre-participation sports physical. For pediatricians, it’s often treated like a checkbox but in reality, it’s a powerful clinical moment. Sometimes it is the one chance to catch something that can change a life. In this episode, we explore how to turn the pre-participation physical from paperwork into prevention. We’ll break down what really matters in the sports physical, what red flags to watch for and how to use this visit to protect young athletes and support families.
Kristina Wilson, MD, and Nate Howell, MD, join us for this episode. Dr. Wilson is the Medical Director of the Sports Medicine Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado and an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Howell specializes in primary care sports medicine and is also an Assistant Professor.
Some highlights from this episode include:
- Current guidelines and recommendations for the sports pre-participation physical
- Why history matters during this exam
- How to handle the same day “I need this form signed now” visit
- How to best conduct this during a routine checkup
For more information on Children’s Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org.