Pediatrix & Obstetrix Clinicians in the News

In addition to the highly specialized care our clinicians provide to patients across the country every day, many also serve as go-to expert sources for top national and regional media outlets. Pediatrix® and Obstetrix® clinicians regularly contribute to news articles, sharing their expertise to help educate readers on popular and trending topics related to women’s and children’s health, as well as unique stories of innovative patient care. 

Here’s a roundup of some of the latest stories:

Amber Samuel, M.D., maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist, spoke with Parents about increasing maternal syphilis cases. A recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows maternal syphilis infections rose 28% from 2022 to 2024, continuing a decade-long upward trend. The main risk of untreated syphilis during pregnancy is that you can pass a syphilis infection on to a baby, said Dr. Samuel. This can have serious impacts, including stillbirth, miscarriage, growth impairment and preterm birth, she said. Syphilis infections can also lead to lifelong disease. “Children can suffer from rashes, hemorrhagic rhinitis (runny nose), lymphadenopathy (swelling of the lymph nodes), hepatosplenomegaly (swelling of the liver), skeletal abnormalities, anemia and meningitis (infection of the brain tissue),” explained Dr. Samuel.

Christopher Klunk, M.D., neonatologist, spoke with BabyCenter about professional babyproofers. "Parents should feel empowered to become experts themselves in what to look for and what needs to change, but there is nothing wrong with asking for help from a professional," said Dr. Klunk. He encouraged parents who are overwhelmed about the task of babyproofing. "It's not possible to prevent everything, and you aren't expected to pad every surface, file down every corner and smooth over every edge, but you've got this," he said. "No amount of preparation and babyproofing is as good as reliable adult supervision, so as long as you pay attention and love your little one, you're 99% of the way there."

Jill Hechtman, M.D., obstetrician-gynecologist, spoke with The Bump about the support hospital birthing beds and props provide during labor. She explained that hospital birthing beds differ from regular hospital beds. “For one, there are attachments for your legs,” said Dr. Hechtman. She noted that a sheet or towel can be tied to a squat bar and pulled for support while pushing. Birthing balls can also be helpful. “Some [birthing parents] feel like bouncing on the ball provides comfort while they’re laboring,” explained Dr. Hechtman. She shared that the peanut ball is her favorite prop as it helps open the pelvis.

Zachary Hoy, M.D., pediatric infectious disease specialist, spoke with Parade about the latest COVID-19 symptoms. Common symptoms include cough, mucus production, sore throat, runny nose and lethargy. Dr. Hoy shared that brain fog has also been reported, though it can be difficult to measure. He noted that regular handwashing and good hygiene practices overall are effective in helping to protect against the virus. 

Anushka Chelliah, M.D., MFM specialist, spoke with Romper about postpartum depression (PPD). She shared that anxiety, tearfulness, guilt, hopelessness and panic are common experiences. PPD can also manifest as an “inability to concentrate or focus on activities, feeling overwhelmed and poor decision making,” said Dr. Chelliah. If symptoms “persist after two weeks or become intrusive in the ability to complete activities of daily living or are involved with thoughts of hurting yourself or others, you need to seek medical attention,” advised Dr. Chelliah.

To view additional news stories, visit our newsroom. 

Members of the media, we invite you to view our multispecialty media panel and request an expert source.