This week on Parenting Shrink Wrapped, we talked with Dr. Rebecca Vickers, a pediatrician who blends conventional and functional medicine to help kids truly heal.

After years of practicing traditional pediatrics, Dr. Vickers began to notice a troubling trend: kids are sicker than they used to be. Allergies, anxiety, ADHD, and chronic digestive issues are all on the rise. Her patients weren’t just getting more colds — they were struggling with complex, lingering symptoms that didn’t respond to standard treatments.

When her own family member developed severe health problems that conventional medicine couldn’t solve, Dr. Vickers turned to functional and integrative medicine. This approach that digs into root causes rather than just managing symptoms.

“Conventional medicine asks, ‘What’s the diagnosis?’” she explains. “Functional medicine asks, ‘Why is this happening?’”

What’s Driving the Rise in Chronic Illness?

According to Dr. Vickers, the world our kids are growing up in is full of hidden stressors — not just emotional, but physical and environmental:

• ➡️Ultra-processed foods that fuel inflammation
  
• ➡️Environmental toxins and mold exposure
  
• ➡️Nutrient deficiencies linked to mood and immune function
  
• ➡️Chronic stress and screen time that overload developing nervous systems
  

At her practice, she helps families look at the whole picture — food, environment, sleep, movement, and stress — to uncover the connections between body and brain.

Practical Steps Parents Can Take

Dr. Vickers emphasizes that small changes can have big ripple effects:

• ➡️Swap processed snacks for real, whole foods.
  
• ➡️Encourage movement, sunshine, and time outdoors.
  
• ➡️Reduce screen time and increase time for reading and rest.
  
• ➡️Consider probiotics, vitamin D, or magnesium (under guidance from a provider).
  

And if your child has unexplained symptoms that haven’t improved with traditional care, consider consulting an integrative or functional medicine provider. You can search for certified practitioners at IFM.org.

Functional medicine isn’t about rejecting conventional care—it’s about asking deeper questions and empowering families to get to the why behind chronic symptoms.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Dr. Rebecca Vickers on Parenting Shrink Wrapped here.

Find more information here:

How to Prepare Teens for Medical Challenges Without Panic or Power Struggles

Navigating Mental Health Care for Kids and Teens