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® clinicians regularly contribute to news articles, sharing their expertise to help educate readers on a wide variety of popular 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.

Suzy Lipinski, M.D., obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) and medical director, spoke with Well + Goodabout whether Mucinex can help boost fertility. Many women have taken to social media to share their success with using the sinus medication to help get pregnant. "The theory is that guaifenesin (the active ingredient in Mucinex) will thin cervical mucus to improve the ability for sperm to pass through the cervix to reach the egg," said Dr. Lipinski. While it may help some people, taking Mucinex for infertility is considered off-label use. "The makers of Mucinex have very clearly stated that this is not a studied use of the medication, and it is not recommended," she said.

Zachary Hoy, M.D., pediatric infectious disease specialist, spoke with Romperabout what to expect this respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season. For babies under a year, RSV is the most common cause of both bronchiolitis and pneumonia. "The two factors to watch, especially in younger children, are if there is trouble breathing or dehydration," said Dr. Hoy. "In kids, it is common to see multiple viruses detected in children at the same time, for example, RSV and COVID or flu and COVID," he explained. "This will likely have similar numbers to past years."

Kyle Graham, M.D., OBGYN and practice medical director, spoke with First for Womenabout perimenopause breast pain. "Changes in estrogen and progesterone levels are the usual culprits of breast pain in [peri]menopause," said Dr. Graham. "The fluctuations in hormones can be quite unpredictable in perimenopause, and that results in breast pain." He noted that cyclical pain can be attributed to your menstrual period whereas breast pain during perimenopause is more erratic than constant. "Menstrual breast pain is usually cyclical, whereas perimenopausal breast pain is unpredictable."

Robert Quillin, M.D., pediatrician and practice medical director, spoke with Care about when it's safe to take a newborn out in public. "A newborn's immune system has the benefit of a mother's antibodies during the first few weeks of life," said Dr. Quillin. "However, it is not considered to be fully functional until two to three months of age." By two months of age, most newborns will start to receive protective vaccines, noted Dr. Quillin, though caregivers should still be cautious. "The primary risk for taking a newborn out into public would be concerns for infection, particularly during the winter months," he said. Dr. Quillin advised that if an infant needs to be in a public space, it's best to avoid crowds or any groups of more than four to six people.

Rebecca Keith, M.D., OBGYN, spoke with The Bump about pushing during labor. Pushing can take anywhere from half an hour to several hours. Dr. Keith shared that many factors contribute to the duration, including mom's size and age. "The size and shape of the woman's pelvis can affect pushing times," said Dr. Keith, noting that if the pelvis is too small, baby's head may not be able to come down. Women over 35 tend to take longer to push, she added. Whether a patient gets an epidural is another factor. Dr. Keith noted it can sometimes prolong pushing time. "But other times, I've seen an epidural allow a mom to relax, focus and push more effectively, thus shortening the pushing phase."

To view additional stories, visit the Pediatrix newsroom.

Members of the media, we invite you to view our multispecialty media panel and request an expert source via [email protected].