Eating disorders have been on the rise in children and adolescents following the COVID-19 pandemic and the Eating Disorder Program at Lurie Children’s is equipped to offer comprehensive care that is practical and tailored to meet the needs of this population. In this episode, Dr. Gregg Montalto, a leader in the Eating Disorders Program, talks about the complexities of eating disorders, emphasizing their nature as brain disorders rather than behavioral choices, discusses different types of eating disorders, the importance of early recognition and intervention and the need for equitable treatment options.

In this episode, Sara Budowsky, LCSW, a Lurie Children’s clinical social worker and psychotherapist in The Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, shares insights on differentiating between shyness and social anxiety, the types of fears children experience and supportive strategies to build confidence in young people. She also dives into the importance of validating children's feelings, breaking down fears into manageable steps and the role parents play in fostering emotional resilience.

Dr. Craig Garfield and Dr. John James Parker (JJ) Parker discuss the often underappreciated significance of fathers in family health. They share insights from their experiences as both dads and doctors, which have informed their development of programs and research on the beneficial effects of fathers on child development and family well-being.

The infant and toddler years can be a challenging time for parents when it comes to navigating behavioral issues. Lurie Children’s Little Ones program is the only program of its kind in Illinois that supports parents of young children directly by offering expert guidance, assessment, and intervention. Dr. Miller Shivers is a clinical psychologist in the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Lurie Children's Hospital. She's also the Director of the Lurie Children's Little Ones program. In this episode, she discusses strategies for managing issues many parents face at home such as infant anxiety, toddler tantrums, strengthening the parent-child bond and more.

In this summer bonus episode of Kids’ Wellness Matters, Dr. Nina Alfieri and Dr. Rob Sanchez discuss water and swimming safety tips for families and give advice for multiple layers of protection to prevent drowning.

Hydration is essential all year long but is especially important during the hot summer months. In this episode of Kids’ Wellness Matters, hosts Nina and Rob give practical tips and hacks to help kids get enough water and discuss ways to recognize the signs of dehydration and much more.

Keeping kids safe while enjoying the summer sun means stocking up on SPF, but the sunscreen aisle can be overwhelming, especially to new parents trying to prevent sunburns on young children. Kids’ Wellness Matters hosts Nina and Rob share their tips on SPF and other sun safety tips in this summer bonus episode of the show.

Autism is one of the most commonly known developmental disorders in children, but its symptoms aren’t always obvious. Usually beginning in early childhood, the signs of autism spectrum disorder can appear as difficulty in social communication but vary widely. In this episode, Dr. Joshua Ewen, a pediatric neurologist and neurodevelopmental pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, brings years of expertise to answer questions about diagnosis, therapies, and research, expanding awareness of the diversity of autism in children.