5. How Lyme disease can impact children and family

In today’s podcast, we start to explore Lyme disease in children. Sarah welcomes her father, Dr. Ted Cormode, to the podcast. He understands Lyme disease both as a pediatrician and as a parent supporting and advocating for his child. Dr. Cormode talks about his experience as a parent when Sarah first became ill. In medical school, he did not learn about Lyme disease so he spent the next years digging deeper into medical research.Dr. Cormode walks us through some of the unique challenges of understanding Lyme disease in children. He describes an interesting case study of a child who became ill following a camping trip. The child had not received a diagnosis or treatment for Lyme disease, but her symptoms cleared up after being given antibiotics after the surgical removal of her tonsils. When the short course of antibiotics was completed, the child’s symptoms returned. Another course of antibiotic treatment was ordered and Dr. Cormode is happy to report that many years later, the patient has remained in good health. For children and adults alike, knowing a patient over time can help a family physician determine when symptoms are out of the ordinary for that individual. Dr. Cormode also discusses three case studies recently published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in which three patients with signs and symptoms of Lyme disease did not receive an early diagnosis and developed serious complications. Finally Dr. Cormode gives us a few tips on how to prevent Lyme disease to keep ourselves and our children safe in the outdoors. Thanks for sharing your insights with us Dr. Cormode!Funding available for physicians to attend the ILADS conferenceGrants for healthcare professionalsShow notes