Advocare Greentree Pediatrics B. Levey MD, C Fraser APN, M Kennedy APN

01/11/2026

There is a lot in social media about informed consent, and suggesting that pediatricians don't really respect it. I don't think that's true. I can only speak for us, but I think we do a pretty good job of it. In fact, I think we do a good job of encouraging people to ask questions. The best thing for the kids is for all the doctors, advanced practice nurses and parents to be on the same page. The more we understand each other the better we can do in our respective roles taking care of the kids. One of the problems with informed consent is that sometimes we're not on the same page regarding what that is. We need to understand each other about expectations too, not just the care itself. I think this is an excellent article explaining what is meant by "informed consent."

Dr. Levey

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Setting the record straight on how vaccine communication actually works and why some groups want you to think it’s broken

12/10/2025

“This irresponsible and purposely misleading guidance will lead to more hepatitis B infections in infants and children. I want to reassure parents and clinicians that there is no new or concerning information about the hepatitis B vaccine that is prompting this change, nor has children’s risk of contracting hepatitis B changed. Instead, this is the result of a deliberate strategy to sow fear and distrust among families,” said American Academy of Pediatrics President Susan J. Kressly.

In medicine, the shared clinical decision-making designation is not intended for interventions with clear, evidence-based benefits to a broad population, such as a safe vaccine that offers an important benefit to all newborns. Instead, a universal recommendation – such as what AAP continues to make for the hepatitis B birth dose – offers clear guidance to pediatricians and families that the vaccine is important and beneficial. Pediatricians are ready to discuss the vaccine with families, review benefits and potential side effects, and collaborate with parents to make informed decisions about their child’s health.

“The American Academy of Pediatrics will continue to provide clear, evidence-backed guidance on routine childhood immunizations. I encourage parents, expecting parents and caregivers to talk with their pediatricians and doctors if they have questions about the hepatitis B vaccine,” said Dr. Kressly.

Click here to read the full statement: https://bit.ly/3Y9ZQJT

11/15/2025

If you use this formula, you might want to get rid of it. Botulism in an infant is very dangerous. A child with botulism can be hospitalized for months. Botulism is the reason we recommend that babies not be given honey for the first year of their lives.

11/13/2025

11/06/2025

This is just too cute not to share.❤️

08/22/2025

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08/22/2025

For over 90 years, AAP has served as a leading voice in vaccine recommendations, updating its immunization schedule each year. That has not changed. We will continue to provide an evidence-backed vaccine schedule for parents and pediatricians and remain committed to supporting children’s access to immunizations for years to come.

Learn more about our updated immunization schedule from ABC News:
https://bit.ly/3HmJUzo

05/27/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1QJzvpd59d/

After 6,000 people died from whooping cough in 1932, three extraordinary women stepped forward to confront this deadly disease. The three women -- scientists Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering and their research assistant Loney Clinton Gordon -- who developed a vaccine for pertussis, also known as whooping cough, became public health legends who were honored with this sculpture at the Michigan State University Research Center.

With thousands of children dying annually from the disease -- more than from diphtheria, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, or polio -- "it’s difficult to explain just how desperate people were for a [whooping cough] vaccine at this time,” says historian Carolyn Shapiro-Shapin. When their vaccine was ready for field testing in 1934, parents volunteered their children in droves, hoping to protect them from the horrors of the deadly "100 day cough." It's estimated that today, the vaccine saves half a million lives annually.

To introduce children to more pioneering women of public health, we highly recommend "Dr. Jo: How Sara Josephine Baker Saved the Lives of America's Children" for ages 5 to 9 (https://www.amightygirl.com/dr-jo) and “The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath” for ages 5 to 9 (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-doctor-with-an-eye-for-eyes)

For a fun picture book about a young rabbit who discovers the cure to a mysterious malady sickening her forest friends, check out "Charlotte the Scientist Finds A Cure" for ages 4 to 8 at https://www.amightygirl.com/charlotte-the-scientist-finds-a-cure

There is also an excellent book about 21 trailblazing women in medicine, “Bold Women of Medicine" for ages 12 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/bold-women-of-medicine

For more children's books about pioneering women of science, visit our blog post, "60 Children's Books to Inspire Science-Loving Mighty Girls," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=13914

04/16/2025

Differences between neurotypical kids and kids with ASD have been seen on scans in utero (before birth).

"Autistic brains produce 42% more information at rest (than neurotypicals). Our brains have LOTS more neurons, SEE IMAGE.

When we say we See More, Hear More, Smell More, Taste More, and Feel More, it's NOT an exaggeration or figure of speech!

We get MORE of ALL the senses. THIS is why we get Overloaded. This is why we have MELTDOWNS.

To you, it's a grocery store. To us, it's: VISUAL Overload (from the sheer number of items we see); COLOR overload (all the labels, plus all the colors of clothing people wear); MOVEMENT Overload (the people moving, the baskets, the forklifts, the cart returns), at All Times, Every Second We're In The Building;

SOUND overload (people talking, wheels squeaking, babies crying, boxes being sliced open, scales moving, forklifts beeping, beep goes the checkout scanners 100's of times a minute), and we HEAR IT ALL, at all times, at dozens or hundreds of times LOUDER than You hear it;

SMELL Overload (we smell every shampoo, conditioner, lotion, shaving cream, soap, deodorant, spice, fruit, vegetable, laundry detergent, and cleaning supply for sale- plus all of that for every individual person in the store!), and we Smell it dozens if not hundreds of times stronger than you smell it;

LIGHTS Overload, aka Photosensitivity. The lights are LITERALLY dozens, if not Hundreds, of times Brighter for US. Some lights are worse than others- and those long tube lights in grocery stores are Number One for Photosensitivity Overload.

DECISION PARALYSIS- Which way to go to start, what item was I getting again? What aisle was that on? How much money do I have to spend today? Oh that person is coming at me, should I slow down or speed up, are they turning, am I blocking what they're getting? Did I want chips? Wait- I have a list. Where's the list? What was I getting again?

Only ALL OF THAT hits in the FIRST TEN SECONDS of entering the building, leaving us FROZEN and UNABLE to proceed. Think of it like LAG, when you ask your electronic to DO TOO MUCH, TOO FAST. That is Decision Paralysis, and it's often brought on, not Just by all those questions (and more) listed, it's brought on because those thoughts are happening WHILE all the OTHER SENSORY items are Overloading our circuits!

This SHUTS DOWN our Executive Function- which is the ability to do things (like drive, get dressed, follow a recipe- grocery shop), and also causes Task Paralysis, the inability to START.

There's going to be a period of Nothing Happening, just Leave Us Alone during this time, and If Left Alone, we'll "catch up" in our brain and be Able to proceed. We may need to Stim during this time, or move our body to calm down- rocking, wringing our hands, twiddling fingers, twirling hair- leave us alone to stim, it's how we self regulate and are able to navigate the Drastic Changes we just experienced."

-Michelle Mason

04/04/2025

Recent actions taken by the federal government, including yesterday’s layoffs of thousands of HHS employees, have sidelined vaccine expertise in favor of elevating anti-vaccine perspectives. In a new op-ed, AAP President Susan Kressly said that with a growing measles outbreak, “This should be an all-hands on deck moment for public health officials… [Instead], continued efforts to push an agenda that contradicts facts and creates an environment of anxiety is unwarranted, distracting and dangerous.” AAP urges government leaders to work in partnership with public health and medical experts to promote immunization. As Dr. Kressly said, “Pediatricians are eager to help. Children and their families are counting on us.” Read the op-ed: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/commentary-the-dangerous-war-on-vaccines/ar-AA1C84Ca?ocid=BingNewsSerp