Dear Parents with Phil Boucher, M.D.

T1D Deep Dive

Most kids with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed in crisis: thirsty, exhausted, losing weight…they end up in the hospital and often the ICU. In this deep dive, I make the case that it no longer has to start that way. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition that shows up in the blood years before the first symptom, and we finally have the science to catch it early. What you’ll take away: * Why type 1 is an immune system problem, not a blood sugar problem, and why a normal finger-stick can falsely reassure * The old rule that misses most kids: 90% of those diagnosed have no family history * The three stages, and why stage three (the ER, the DKA) is the end of a process that began years earlier * The new JAMA study (Winkler et al., May 2026 [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2849402]): 200,000 kids screened at well checks, DKA at diagnosis dropping from 40 to 60% down under 10% * When to screen, what the antibody panel involves, and why knowing early lowers anxiety rather than raising it Screening at Frontier Pediatrics: We are now offering this screening even if your child isn’t our patient! These are virtual visits and we don’t need to see the kid(s), just parent! We can do one visit and order screening for all the kids. Available as a virtual visit in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Texas, and Florida. Most insurance plans cover the testing and we can also help find low-cost or free alternatives like the research sites. Click here to learn more and book. [https://clinics.frontierpediatric.care/t1d] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dearparents.substack.com/subscribe [https://dearparents.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

AMA: Dysregulated + Aggressive 6 year old

Have a question? Ask yours here https://drphilboucher.com/ask [https://drphilboucher.com/ask] Curious about my ADHD Compass? Find out where your child falls across all 4 domains of ADHD (hyperactivity, inattention, emotional regulation, executive function) and get a custom-tailored report based on their age, stage, and current strengths & challenges ($19) https://drphilboucher.com/adhdcompass [https://drphilboucher.com/adhdcompass] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dearparents.substack.com/subscribe [https://dearparents.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Keeping Kids Hydrated with Cure Founder, Lauren Picasso

This week I’m talking with Lauren Picasso, founder and CEO of Cure Hydration, about something that comes up constantly in my practice: how do I actually keep my kid hydrated? We get into when water alone isn’t always enough, how oral rehydration solution works (the WHO formula that’s been around over 50 years), and why kids dehydrate faster than adults... smaller bodies, developing kidneys, and the toddler who can’t tell you they’re thirsty until they’re already behind. We also cover: * The difference between rehydrating and just loading up on sugar (some sports drinks pack nearly 40g per serving) * When to reach for electrolytes instead of plain water: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, heat, sports, and even air travel * Why I keep these packets in the parent kits we hand out * What Cure built specifically for kids * Hydration in pregnancy, including Lauren’s take! If you’ve ever stood in the pharmacy aisle at 2am with a vomiting kid, this one’s for you!! More at dearparents.substack.com [http://dearparents.substack.com/]Cure Hydration: www.curehydration.com [http://www.curehydration.com/] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dearparents.substack.com/subscribe [https://dearparents.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Feeding Without the Anxiety with Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN

Feeding kids has never felt harder, and today we chew on how much of that difficulty is manufactured. Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN, founder of Kids Eat in Color, joins me to cut through the conflicting six-second advice and hand parents something better: a way to make their own calls. You are the expert on your own child. If a strategy is making things worse in your house, that’s reason enough to drop it. What you’ll take away: Why a consistent meal and snack routine is the best place to start when feeding feels like chaos What grazing does to hunger and fullness cues, and why fewer, fuller meals usually serve kids better Why “good food, bad food” language backfires, and what to say instead: different foods do different things in your body Why dessert as a reward teaches the opposite of what you want Where food dyes actually rank against what matters most: calories, protein, water, and fiber The line between typical picky eating and ARFID, and a simple screener to tell the difference Please please please: Pre-order Jennifer’s book [https://kidseatincolor.com/landing-pages/feed-them-well-book/?utm_source=dear-parents&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=book-pre-order&utm_content=show-notes]Feed Them Well [https://kidseatincolor.com/landing-pages/feed-them-well-book/?utm_source=dear-parents&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=book-pre-order&utm_content=show-notes] PSA Eat screener for ARFID and extreme picky eating [https://kidseatincolor.com/picky-eating-and-arfid-screener-for-kids-psa-eat/?utm_source=dear-parents&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=psa-eat-cta&utm_content=show-notes] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dearparents.substack.com/subscribe [https://dearparents.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Ultraprocessed Foods and Behaviors

Ultra-Processed Foods and Kids’ Behavior: What the New JAMA Study Means for Your Family A new JAMA study [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2845768] followed over 2,000 preschoolers and found that higher ultra-processed food intake at age three predicted worse behavior at age five: more anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, and hyperactivity. At age three, UPFs already made up 45.5% of these kids’ daily calories. The good news: researchers modeled what happens when you swap just 10% of UPF calories for real food, and behavior scores improved across every domain. Small and intentional beats dramatic and unsustainable. In this episode, I walk through two quick rules of thumb for spotting a UPF, why “organic” and added-vitamin labels give parents a false sense of security, and how to actually reduce UPFs at home using the authoritative approach. Study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2845768 [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2845768]Later this month, I’m launching the Authoritative Approach Study Group: a daily text message with one small parenting nugget, plus a weekly Zoom call for live coaching, cases, and Q&A. No course logins, no homework piling up. One registration covers two adults, so both parents (or you and a co-caregiver) can learn together and stay on the same page. Seats are super limited. Authoritative Approach Study Group [https://apsg.drphilboucher.com/] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dearparents.substack.com/subscribe [https://dearparents.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]