Integrative Pediatrics Collective Blog

For many clinicians practicing integrative medicine, IgG food sensitivity testing (performed by companies like Genova Diagnostics) occupies an interesting and often uncomfortable space. On one hand, professional allergy societies have recommended against its use for more than 15 years. On the other hand, many functional and integrative physicians report seeing meaningful clinical improvements when IgG […]

What Red Light Therapy Actually Is Red light therapy—more formally termed photobiomodulation (PBM)—has moved from dermatology clinics into the homes of many families. As pediatricians, particularly those practicing within an integrative framework, we are increasingly asked to interpret this modality: what it is, what it does, and whether it has a legitimate role in pediatric

Mitochondria occupy a central role in cellular metabolism, generating ATP through oxidative phosphorylation while also participating in signaling pathways, apoptosis, calcium homeostasis, and reactive oxygen species regulation. Because of this central metabolic role, mitochondrial abnormalities have been proposed as contributing factors in a wide variety of diseases. In pediatric practice, the concept of “mitochondrial dysfunction”

When I first met Emily, a 7-year-old whose mother brought her in for persistent fatigue, patchy rashes, and difficulty concentrating, nothing in her history suggested a unifying diagnosis. Her growth was appropriate, her sleep only mildly irregular, and her physical exam was notable only for mild allergic stigmata. But her mother was carrying something heavier

Most pediatricians have at least heard of acupuncture, Reiki, Healing Touch, or homeopathy. Some have seen children or families seek these modalities to complement conventional care. Yet for clinicians trained in a reductionist biomedical framework, the underlying rationale behind “energy medicine” can feel nebulous—mystical, even. To many of us, modalities like acupuncture or Reiki seem

Each winter, pediatricians and parents alike brace for the steady stream of colds, coughs, and influenza-like illnesses that spread through classrooms and households. While most viral respiratory infections are self-limited, the discomfort they cause—stuffy noses, fever, fatigue, and cough—often leads families to seek relief beyond conventional medicine. Integrative pediatrics offers a framework for supporting the

Homeopathy has long held a place in complementary and alternative medicine, inspiring both passionate advocates and skeptical critics. Conventional science, including numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses, generally finds that homeopathy does not outperform placebo in randomized controlled trials. The 2019 Health & Social Care in the Community review of 61 systematic reviews and meta-analyses concluded that the effects of

Over the past decade, research on the gut microbiome has transformed how we think about health and disease. Parents are increasingly aware of the “gut-brain axis,” probiotics, and the role of microbes in immunity—and many now arrive at pediatric visits carrying results from stool analysis kits such as GI-MAP or Tiny Health. These tests promise insight into a

Functional abdominal pain is one of the most common—and challenging—complaints in pediatric practice. As integrative medicine practitioners, many of us turn to evidence-based herbal options like peppermint oil (PMO), particularly for children with functional abdominal pain (FAP) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), where traditional therapies may offer limited relief. While PMO is widely used for