November 2025 – The Med Edit Podcast – Medical Education without Misinformation, Debunking Medical Myths While Foste

Tiny Beginnings: How Medicine Saves the Tiniest Lives (Ep.50)

By Jordan DeBolt | November 20, 2025

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Premature birth is one of the toughest starts a newborn can face — and one of the greatest success stories in modern medicine. In honor of Prematurity Awareness Month, Dr. Jessica Gray and Dr. Cari Sorrell explore the science, survival, and humanity behind preterm birth with expert neonatologist Dr. Jennifer Palarczyk, faculty member at UT Health San Antonio.

With 1 in 10 babies worldwide born too early, this episode sheds light on the causes, risks, groundbreaking advancements, and the incredible resilience of these tiny fighters.

What Prematurity Really Means

The medical definition of preterm birth (before 37 weeks)
Categories: late preterm, very preterm, and extremely preterm
Why every week in the womb matters for lung, brain, and temperature regulation development
Rising prematurity rates and what’s driving the increase

Why Babies Come Early

Known medical causes: infections, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, multiples
Nearly 50% of cases have no clear cause (“spontaneous preterm labor”)
Maternal health factors, prenatal care access, chronic stress, and systemic inequities
Why Black women face disproportionately higher preterm birth rates

Inside the NICU

A behind-the-scenes look into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit — where micro-preemies weighing barely a pound fight for survival.

Dr. Palarczyk breaks down:

Surfactant therapy and why it changed neonatal survival forever
How incubators mimic the womb
Kangaroo care and the emotional side of NICU parenting
The stunning statistic: Babies born at 26 weeks now survive at 86% in the U.S.

Breakthroughs in Neonatal Medicine

Synthetic surfactant therapy and lung development
Incubator evolution (including their bizarre beginnings at Coney Island sideshows!)
The promise of artificial wombs
The crucial role of human donor milk

After the NICU: What Life Looks Like

Short-term risks discussed:

RDS, apnea, hypoglycemia, NEC, IVH, infection risk, jaundice

Long-term considerations:

Motor and language delays
Cerebral palsy
Chronic lung disease
Sensory impairments
Higher adulthood risk of hypertension, diabetes, & heart disease

Yet — the majority of premature infants go on to live healthy, normal lives.

Why This Episode Matters

Premature birth is emotional. Complex. Full of fear and hope. This episode honors families, NICU staff, and the incredible resilience of premature babies — while highlighting the science that saves lives every day.

Resources Mentioned

WHO: Preterm Birth
Cleveland Clinic: Premature Birth Overview
Columbia Surgery: History of Incubators
American Pregnancy Association: Complications
March of Dimes – Prematurity Awareness

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

Clinicians — claim your CME credit for listening!

https://cmetracker.net/TTUHSC/Publisher?page=pubOpen&nc=7120399723#/myPortal

Connect with us!

https://themededitpodcast.com/

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LinkedIn: Dr. Jessica Gray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Jessica-gray-md/

LinkedIn: Dr. Cari Sorrell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-sorrell-42545a7b/

Filtering the Facts: Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease and Polycystic Kidney Disease (Ep.49)

By Jordan DeBolt | November 13, 2025

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This week on The Med Edit Podcast, Dr. Jessica Gray and Dr. Cari Sorrell tackle one of medicine’s most overlooked yet widespread health issues: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Affecting roughly 1 in 7 adults in the U.S., CKD is a silent epidemic — often undetected until it reaches advanced stages.

To help separate myth from medicine, they’re joined by Dr. Ashley Garcia-Everett, a board-certified nephrologist, Associate Professor at UT Health San Antonio, and Medical Director at one of University Hospital’s dialysis centers. Together, they break down what kidney disease actually is, how it develops, and what you can do to protect your kidneys long before symptoms start.

Later in the episode, the doctors dive into Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) — one of the most common inherited kidney disorders — exploring how genetics, screening, and new therapies like tolvaptan are changing outcomes for families affected by the disease.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

What CKD Really Means

How kidneys act as your body’s filters — and what happens when they start to fail
Why diabetes and high blood pressure account for 2/3 of CKD cases
The 5 stages of kidney disease and how eGFR testing works

Prevention and Early Detection

What symptoms to look for (and why most people miss them)
The simple blood and urine tests that can catch CKD early
How lifestyle changes — like managing blood sugar and blood pressure — can slow progression

Nutrition & Lifestyle

What a “kidney-friendly diet” looks like
Common habits that harm kidney function — including overusing NSAIDs
Why staying hydrated in moderation matters

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)

The difference between autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive PKD
How cysts form and why family history is key to early screening
The latest treatments, including tolvaptan, and when dialysis or transplant may become necessary

Myth-Busting Segment Highlights

“Just drink more water and your kidneys will be fine.”
“Only older people get kidney disease.”
“You’ll always know if something’s wrong.” .
“Kidney teas can prevent or reverse CKD.”