S2 E16: Dr. Andrew Baumel: One Pediatrician’s Journey to Include Mild Cases of PANDAS/PANS into his Everyday Practice

Dr. Andrew Baumel's story reveals how curiosity, compassion, and clinical observation can lead to breakthrough care for children suffering from immune-mediated neuropsychiatric disorders.

After 18 years as a traditional pediatrician, Dr. Baumel's professional trajectory changed dramatically when a parent asked if he knew anything about PANDAS. Though initially somewhat skeptical, attending an educational lecture with the parent in 2014 convinced him this was a genuine medical condition affecting children's brains following infections. Fast forward, he has now treated over 300 patients with mild to moderate cases of PANDAS and PANS using straightforward medical approaches in his regular pediatric practice.

Dr. Baumel shares fascinating clinical insights, including his identification of "protopans" – early, limited symptoms following infections that, when treated promptly, appears to prevent progression to full-blown disorders. 

"I have a regular practice of 1500 kids, ages 0 to 23 years. I just incorporate these [mild cases of] PANS/PANDAS into my regular practice as my regular patients. This is doable," Dr Baumel said.

Dr. Baumel offers thoughtful perspective on why acceptance of PANDAS/PANS has been slow, drawing parallels to historical medical discoveries that initially faced skepticism before becoming standard practice.

Link to video of 2014 PANDAS Doctor's Breakfast that Dr. Baumel mentioned in this podcast: https://aspire.care/videos/qa-breakfast-for-doctors-featuring-national-pans-pandas-expert-panel-nepans-2014/  (Aspire website)

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.

Credits: Music by Kingsley Durant from his "Convertible" album

To learn more about PANDAS and PANS and The Alex Manfull Fund, visit our website: TheAlexManfullFund.org

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