Faq

No, but I am delighted to join your child’s pediatric care team as a specialty consultant. Our integrative pediatric practice is designed to enhance your child’s primary pediatric care, not replace it. Each child must have a personal primary care physician for routine and urgent care.

Pediatric integrative medicine uses conventional medical therapy along with evidence-based complementary therapies with the goal of treating the whole child (mind, body and spirit) for optimal health and wellness.

Integrative medicine is personalized and prevention focused. It is endorsed by the AAP and is supported through research by the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).

Evidence-based complementary therapies used at SproutWell include nutritional approaches, dietary supplements, microbiome support, botanicals, mind-body therapies, lifestyle medicine, environmental medicine, movement therapies (yoga), auricular acupressure (ear seeds), and therapeutic massage.

The safety and efficacy of other complementary health approaches can be discussed with Dr. Sweeney.

All prospective patients start with an Initial Integrative Consultation with Dr. Julie Sweeney (60 minutes) at SproutWell.

Dr. Sweeney will review any health records/labs from your pediatrician or specialists prior to the visit along with the detailed SproutWell integrative medicine intake packet.

At the visit, Dr. Sweeney will listen to your child’s history and examine your child. She will answer your questions and educate you on evidence-based integrative interventions that are available for your child. She will make therapeutic and lab test recommendations and create an integrative written plan.

If joining one of our programs is the right fit for your family then Dr. Sweeney will initiate the plan, order labs/ medications/supplements and schedule follow up visits.

A doctor-patient relationship is only established if you decide to move forward with care through one of our programs and sign a Patient Agreement.

The program model allows me to provide the kind of integrative pediatric care that families are looking for - thoughtful, personalized, and relationship-based. By limiting the number of families I work with, I can offer longer visits, truly get to know each child, and be available for ongoing support between appointments.

Instead of being limited by insurance-driven constraints, this model gives me the time and space to combine conventional medicine with holistic approaches in a way that just isn’t possible in a traditional, high-volume setting.

Absolutely. Integrative pediatrics is a beautiful complement to your baby’s regular pediatric care—especially in the first year, when so much growth and development is happening.

While your general pediatrician focuses on essential medical care and routine check-ins, SproutWell adds a deeper layer of support that families often don’t have time to explore in a typical visit. As an integrative board-certified pediatrician, I partner with you to look at the whole picture of your baby’s health, including:

• Foundational nutrition guidance—from early feeding to shaping lifelong habits

• Microbiome + gut health support to promote immunity and digestion

• Environment and lifestyle factors that influence sleep, skin, mood, and development

• Thoughtful, safe supplement guidance (if needed) based on evidence and your baby’s unique needs

• Preventive health strategies that help set your child up for long-term wellness

With membership, families have ongoing access and a true partnership with a doctor who knows your baby well, can answer your questions as they arise, and can guide your child’s holistic wellness journey from the very beginning.

Integrative pediatrics doesn’t replace your pediatrician. It simply gives your family more time, more support, and a more complete approach to raising a thriving child.

Yes, integrative medicine can be a thoughtful and empowering approach before a baby is born and during pregnancy.

This stage of life offers a unique opportunity to support both maternal well-being and a baby’s earliest foundations of health. An integrative approach looks beyond OBGYN routine checklists to consider nutrition, microbiome health, environmental exposures, stress patterns, sleep, and lifestyle — all of which influence fetal development and long-term wellness.

Expecting mothers often benefit from personalized guidance around:

• Prenatal nutrition beyond the standard prenatal vitamin

• Supporting a healthy maternal and infant microbiome

• Gentle, evidence-informed strategies for allergy, asthma, and eczema prevention

• Creating a lower-toxin home environment

• Nervous system regulation, stress resilience, and restorative sleep

• Safe, supportive movement during pregnancy

Yes! Constipation is one of the most common concerns we support at SproutWell. Many families come to us after being told to “try Miralax and follow up in a few months,” but they’re left without the close guidance they need. Our approach is different: we provide structured follow up so progress isn’t lost and changes can be made quickly.

We now offer a 3 Month “Foundations” Program which is great for families who want focused care for constipation. This includes regular check-in visits to review progress, adjust supplements or foods, and address underlying factors such as diet, sensitivities, or lifestyle. Families also receive support between visits for questions that come up along the way.

Many parents find that 3 months of structured support gives their child the breakthrough they need.

This approach gives you closer, more supportive care with more options for safe and effective treatment.

Our plans are personalized and may include recommendations for supplements, medications, lab work, behavior modifications, diet modifications, acupressure and massage.

The initial consultation with Dr. Julie Sweeney must be in-person at SproutWell in CT. Follow-up visits can be telehealth visits if appropriate for the situation and you live in CT or NY.

The Initial Integrative Consultation (60 minutes): $695

12-months Thrive Program: Starting at $4,200 ($695 consultation fee credited toward program) or $330 / month

4-months Foundation Program: Starting at $2,100 for 4-months ($695 consultation fee credited toward program) or $375 / month

Baby-Ready Integrative Program: Starting $1,200

A la Carte Pricing (Visits beyond those included in our programs are billed at the rates below):

Up to 15 minutes: $150

Up to 30 minutes: $295

Up to 45 minutes: $415

60 minutes or longer: $550 per hour

*To remain an established patient, an in-person Integrative Visit is required annually.

To provide each patient with the time and attention necessary to treat in an integrative manner, Dr. Julie Sweeney does not participate with insurance plans.

Choosing not to contract with insurance companies allows her to spend more time with you and your child and allows her to be more accessible. This means your family receives high quality, personalized care.

While Sproutwell operates as a private-pay practice, we are able to provide a detailed insurance invoice (“superbill”) for the Initial Consultation, Annual Integrative Visit, and most follow-up visits. Families may submit this directly to their insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement.

If you plan to seek reimbursement, we recommend calling the member services number on the back of your insurance card and asking:

• Does my child have out of network coverage for physician services?

• Do I have an out of network deductible to meet?

• How do I submit claims for reimbursement?

We love supporting families as a whole. When siblings enroll in our 12-month Thrive Program, we offer a $500 discount on program fees for each additional child enrolled. Please note that we do not offer family discounts for Initial Integrative Consultations or other programs.

We accept debit or credit card payments. You are welcome to use your FSA or HSA card. We require each family to have a valid credit card on file. You are responsible for the full cost of the appointment at the time of service.

Initial consultations at SproutWell are longer, thoughtfully prepared in advance, and reserved exclusively for your child and family. Since that preparation begins well before you arrive, these appointments are limited and cannot typically be filled on short notice.

A $250 non-refundable deposit is required to schedule your visit and will be applied toward your consultation fee.

We kindly ask for at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.

• Appointments changed with more than 24 hours’ notice may be rescheduled using the original deposit.

• If an appointment is canceled or rescheduled within 24 hours of the scheduled visit, or missed, the original deposit will be retained as a late cancellation fee. A new non-refundable deposit will be required to schedule a future appointment.

Only the deposit associated with the completed visit will be applied toward your consultation fee.

This policy allows us to protect dedicated, unhurried time for each family while maintaining access for others seeking care. Thank you for your understanding.

To help you plan ahead, we send appointment reminders:

• 4 days prior via email

• 48 hours prior via text message

Please ensure your contact information is up to date so you receive these reminders.

I can offer integrative support for children already undergoing treatment for these illnesses by focusing on anti-inflammatory nutrition, gut health, supplements and mind-body therapies. Please book an introductory call with me if you would like to discuss this further.

No. Because SproutWell is not a primary care office and does not administer vaccines, we do not provide medical exemptions. When necessary, these will be provided by your general pediatrician.

Dr. Sweeney is happy to discuss your questions and concerns about vaccines as part of your child’s integrative consultation.