Read time: 4 minutes Pediatric dental caries is more than an enamel issue—it affects nutrition, immune resilience, and confidence in early childhood. While we’ve long emphasized fluoride, hygiene, and diet, emerging data suggests that postbiotics—non-living bacterial derivatives—may help modulate oral pathogens like Streptococcus mutans at the molecular level. A new systematic review (PMC11894266) reveals how […]
Read time: 3 minutes Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are among the most common reasons children see a doctor—and for many families, fever is the most distressing symptom. While integrative care offers tools for supporting immune resilience, new research suggests that specific probiotic strains may also help reduce the burden of acute illness. A recent […]
Read time: 4 minutes Within pediatric integrative medicine, micronutrient status is increasingly recognized as a determinant of neurodevelopmental stability. Nutrients such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and essential fatty acids are foundational for neurotransmitter synthesis and synaptic modulation. Vitamin D, traditionally viewed through the lens of bone and immune health, has emerged as a critical neurosteroid with […]
Read time: 4 minutes Few clinical presentations demand more nuanced intervention than the underweight child with selective eating. These are not simply “picky eaters.” Many exhibit entrenched feeding difficulties—sensory sensitivities, food rigidity, gut dysfunction, or features of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). These children often fail to meet energy requirements through food alone, despite dietetic […]
Read time: 4 minutes Maternal nutrition has long been understood as central to fetal growth and pregnancy outcomes. Increasingly, however, it is recognized as a determinant of long-term pediatric health. The intrauterine environment—shaped by maternal diet, lifestyle, and metabolic status—acts as an early regulator of immune system development, metabolic programming, and microbial tolerance. Traditionally, prenatal […]
Read time: 5 minutes ✉️ A note from Dr. Krumbeck, Politics aside, as clinicians it is our responsibility to critically evaluate the literature so we can make the best recommendations to our patients. Unfortunately, when politics and science become intertwined the evidence can be distorted or misrepresented, leaving patients and consumers confused about what to trust […]
Read time: 5 minutes As integrative pediatric clinicians, we’ve long understood that medications don’t act in a vacuum. Every compound we introduce into the body—whether prescribed, over-the-counter, or natural—interacts not only with human physiology, but with the trillions of microbes that call the gut home. For years, our conversations around antimicrobial resistance have understandably focused […]
Read time: 3 minutes Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) remains a frequent and frustrating complication in pediatric primary care. While most cases are self-limiting, AAD can increase caregiver distress, interrupt treatment adherence, and occasionally lead to more serious sequelae such as dehydration or Clostridioides difficile infection. Probiotic interventions are a common integrative strategy, yet clarity is still […]
Read time: 3 minutes Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and otitis media remain among the most common causes of morbidity in children, often leading to missed school days, parental stress, and frequent antibiotic prescriptions. With rising concerns about antimicrobial resistance and microbiome disruption, there is growing interest in safe, evidence-based botanical interventions. Echinacea purpurea, long […]
Read time: 2 minutes Persistent, spastic cough in pertussis-like syndrome (PLS) can be distressing for children and frustrating to manage in clinical practice. While macrolide antibiotics address underlying pathogens, they often fall short in alleviating symptoms. A new systematic review and meta-analysis examines whether integrating traditional herbal medicine (HM) with standard Western medicine (WM) can […]
