Rethinking Fevers & Antibiotic Use: Holistic Pediatrics with Dr. Elisa Song

Better! with Dr. Stephanie

Dr. Elisa Song is an integrative pediatrician and author of 'Healthy Kids, Happy Kids.' She joins Dr. Stephanie to discuss the judicious use of antibiotics in early childhood and their long-term impacts on mental health, the role of fevers in the immune response, and natural remedies for minor illnesses.

This episode highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy microbiome, practical steps to restore gut health after antibiotic use, how we have misunderstood fevers, and the negative effects of added sugars on children's diets. Kickstart your child's school season with this informative episode with Dr. Elisa Song.

Episode Overview:
0:00 Intro/Teaser
2:36 Restoring Gut Health in Children
5:32 Understanding the Impact of Childhood Gut Health
18:52 Antibiotic Use in Children
29:23 Optimal Approach to Child Illness
40:05 Fever Management in Children
49:52 Natural Fever Management Techniques in Children
53:59 Restoring Gut Health After Illness
1:06:33 The Power of Fermented Foods
1:12:20 Managing Added Sugar Intake in Kids

Resources mentioned in this episode:

In-utero antibiotic exposure and subsequent infections in infancy: a register-based cohort study with sibling analysis - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589933323000022

Pelargonium Sidoides - https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1135/pelargonium-sidoides

Aconitum Napellus - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Aconitum+Napellus+

Fever management: Evidence vs current practice - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4145646/

Homeopathic Oscillococcinum® for preventing and treating influenza and influenza-like illness - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25629583/

Health Benefits of Saccharomyces Boulardii - https://www.health.com/saccharomyces-boulardii-8628939

Fermented-food diet increases microbiome diversity, decreases inflammatory proteins, study finds - https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2021/07/fermented-food-diet-increases-microbiome-diversity-lowers-inflammation

Healthy Kids, Happy Kids: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/healthy-kids-happy-kids-elisa-song

Bio:
Dr. Elisa Song, MD is a Stanford-, NYU-, UCSF-trained integrative pediatrician, pediatric functional medicine expert, and mom to 2 thriving children. Dr. Song is chair of A4M’s pediatric education and has been featured on BloomTV, Forbes, Healthline, MindBodyGreen, National Geographic, PopSugar, Parents, Motherly, Parade, Verywell Health, and New York Post. More info at https://healthykidshappykids.com/

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