PedsLines Fall-Winter 2008
October 16, 2008Read the current issue of the MOAAP newsletter (PDF file).
2009 Healthy Tomorrows Grant Cycle
September 11, 2008The Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program (HTPCP) is a cooperative agreement program between the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Federal grants of up to $50,000 per year for 5 years are awarded through the program to support community-based child health projects that improve the health status of mothers, infants, children, and adolescents by increasing their access to health services.
Application Due Date: October 9, 2008
For questions about program guidance and requirements, contact Healthy Tomorrows staff at the Maternal and Child Health Bureau:
Chris DeGraw, Acting Program Director: cdegraw@hsra.gov 301/443-1964
For assistance with developing your proposal, contact Healthy Tomorrows staff at the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Nita Patel, Program Manager: npatel@aap.org 847/434-7082
Karla Palmer, Program Coordinator: kpalmer@aap.org 847/434-4279
Click here to download more info (Word doc)
Click here to download a guide to developing your proposal (PDF)
Career Center
August 26, 2008
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Missouri Immunization Conference - Oct. 2008
August 22, 2008October 2-3, 2008
St. Louis Marriott West
St. Louis, MO
The program will provide a forum for the exchange of information among private and public health care providers and will examine emerging issues regarding immunizations for all age groups.
Click here to download information brochure and registration form (PDF file).
PedsLines Spring-Summer 2008
July 10, 2008Spring-Summer 2008
Click here to download and read our latest newsletter
CATCH - Free Web Conference
July 1, 2008To all CATCH Facilitators:
Monday, July 14, 2008
12:00pm - 1:30pm ET
A live Web conference entitled, ‘Act Early on Developmental Concerns: Partnering with Early Intervention‘, sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics Division of Community-based Initiatives and Division of Children with Special Needs, will feature experts in the field of Early Intervention and Developmental Surveillance and Screening: Georgina Peacock, MD, MPH, FAAP - Medical Lead, CDC/National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Layla Mohammed, MD, FAAP - Pediatrician, Ypsilanti Pediatrics; and Diane Zedan, Director, Special Education First Steps Washtenaw/Early On
By the end of the conference, participants will be able to:
- Describe importance of referring children to Early Intervention and follow up services as soon as a developmental issue is suspected
- Understand the role of the Early Intervention program
- Utilize strategies identified on the teleconference to form partnerships, encourage referrals, and improve communication with Early Intervention and community services
Registration is now open! Due to limited phone lines available for this call, we are strongly encouraging individual sites to call in from one phone line. (Note: Speakerphone is needed in this situation.) Registration is limited to 120 phone lines. You and your staff are encouraged to register early in order to ensure participation in the call.
Please click here to register (http://snipurl.com/2s89f)
If you have any questions, please contact Ginny Chanda at gchanda@aap.org or (847) 434-7081 for further information or to report any registration difficulties.
Become a member of the MO AAP Chapter.
June 30, 2008Not a member of the MO AAP Chapter yet? Now, more than ever, your patients and their parents/caregivers need your help to advocate for their well-being. Dues are affordable; benefits are numerous!
Join today!
Clinical Pediatric Update
May 29, 2008St. Louis Children’s Hospital Clinical Pediatric Update
September 26 & 27, 2008
Topics will include: Behavioral Issues, Sports Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Cardiology, Diabetes and Asthma.
Big Cedar Lodge
10 miles south of Branson, MO
bigcedarlodge.com
Food Groups to Encourage
April 14, 2008“Food Groups to Encourage” for the Right Start in Life
It’s well-known that too many American children are overweight. But just as troubling is the fact that many are also undernourished. Because kids do not eat enough of the right foods, they aren’t getting enough of five key nutrients: calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, and fiber, according to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).[1]
The guidelines identified four “Food Groups to Encourage” from the USDA’s MyPyramid: fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, and low-fat and fat-free milk or milk products. Encouraging kids to eat adequate quantities of these nutrient-dense foods can help ensure that they are getting balanced nutrition from their diets.
“When a child learns good eating habits, it can pave the way for better lifelong health,” says American Dietetic Association spokesperson Marilyn Tanner-Blasier, MHS, RD, LD. “Parents, schools, and the community – and especially healthcare providers – all have roles to play in teaching kids to make the right dietary choices.”
Dairy Foods: Rich in Nutrients, But Lacking in Some Diets
The dairy group, one of the highlighted food groups, is often underestimated as a source of key nutrients. Dairy foods like milk, cheese, and yogurt are well-known as a source of calcium, but together, they also deliver potassium and magnesium – three of the five “nutrients of concern for children.”
A number of studies have shown that getting calcium is a key to building peak bone mass and preventing osteoporosis and fractures later in life. The
Dr. Abby Hollander, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, notes that giving nutrition advice to kids has long term benefit: “By pushing for increased milk consumption and calcium-sufficient diets, we can encourage children to have healthful nutrition practices now and to have a better quality of life in their later years.” At each visit, Dr. Hollander recommends that patients skip sodas and grab more nutrient-rich foods for breakfast and throughout the day, such as instant breakfast drinks made with milk.
According to the National Dairy Council, half of children ages 2 through 8 and three quarters of children ages 9 through 19 don’t get the recommended daily amount of milk or milk products.[3] The 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that African-American children have lower intakes of calcium, magnesium, and potassium than children of other races and ethnicities.[4] This is consistent with a recent finding that adolescent African-Americans eat and drink less dairy than non-African-Americans.[5]
All children 2 to 8 years should get at least two cups a day of low-fat or fat-free milk or milk products and three cups a day once they turn 9. The
A Doctor’s Influence
For a physician, promoting healthy eating starts in the office. Asking patients about their eating habits, educating them about the importance of balanced nutrition, and recommending a healthy diet pattern that follows the 2005 DGA are all constructive steps a family healthcare provider can take. A doctor can also help by referring a patient to a registered dietitian when appropriate.
Outside the office, one way a physician can promote better nutrition is by partnering with non-profit organizations, industry-supported organizations, or government agencies that promote nutrition education. A nationally prominent group working along these lines is Action for Healthy Kids (www.actionforhealthykids.org), a public-private partnership of national organizations and government agencies that encourages healthy eating and physical activity in children and youth in schools. Action for Healthy Kids teams at the state and local level welcome doctors as expert volunteers.
Doctors can also make a difference by engaging with local schools. One option is to encourage the local district to form a partnership with Action for Healthy Kids or a similar organization. A physician’s voice may also carry influence when a community’s schools feature unhealthy choices in a lunch program, or are weighing a beverage contract with a vendor whose products are high in sugar and low in nutrients.
Poor nutrition in American children isn’t only a behavior gap; it’s a knowledge gap. Because of their expertise and the respect they command in their communities, health professionals have an important role to play in closing that gap and steering kids onto a healthier path through education, guidance and active involvement.
-END-
Click here to download this article as a Word document
[1]
[2] Frank R. Greer, M.D. and Nancy F. Krebs, M.D. “Optimizing Bone Health and Calcium Intakes of Infants, Children, and Adolescents.” Pediatrics (2006). 4 Sept. 2007 <http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/2/578>.
[3] National Dairy Council, unpublished data based on the National Health and Nutrition Survey, 1999-2002
[4] Fulgoni, Victor. “Dairy Consumption and Related Nutrient Intake in African-American Adults and Children in the
[5] Fulgoni, Victor. “Dairy Consumption and Related Nutrient Intake in African-American Adults and Children in the
[6] Frank R. Greer, M.D. and Nancy F. Krebs, M.D. “Optimizing Bone Health and Calcium Intakes of Infants, Children, and Adolescents.” Pediatrics (2006). 4 Sept. 2007 <http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/2/578>.
[7] Opinion Research Corporation for GTC Nutrition
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
April 1, 2008Pediatric Advanced Life Support - 2008
St Louis Children’s Hospital,
St Louis, MO