Pedia Talk at Makati Medical Center

Last Thursday, I received this invite from the marketing department of Makati Medical Center (MMC):

For a mother of a toddler, the topics are quite interesting. And having attended a couple of their Pregnancy & Beyond sessions, I already have an idea on what to expect - free samples, discounts from sponsors, free lunch. With these carrots dangled in front of me, I gladly decided to attend the lecture.

Unlike the previous lectures I attended, this one started late. And I actually took down notes- something that I have not done for a decade. I mentally kicked myself because I did not bring a camera which would have my life easier.

The first topic was ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). I actually got lost in  a sea of medical terms mentioned by the speaker but I got these key takeaways:

• It's the most common neurobehavioral disorder, affecting more males than females
• Kids are normally hyperactive at around 2-5 years old, but self control normally steps in at around 6-7 years old.
• Television or computers may increase hyperactivity. It is recommended that TV time should be limited and supervised. Dr. Reloza specifically said "No TV for babies less than 2 years old". Maybe I should think about cancelling the subscription to the BabyTV channel? Paano na si Henry?Si Hippa?

Up next was Vitamin Supplementation. This  was actually a very quick presentation. The vitamins were described, along with it's recommended daily dosage and food sources. I wanted to ask a question about the effect of ascorbic acid to the kidneys, but only two questions were entertained. Note to self, just ask that question on the next pedia appointment.

The third topic was one of the hot topics on my list: UTI FAQs. This is really important to me because my son was born with solitary kidney. So anything related to renal health is flagged as important. I found Dr. Ranches' presentation quite good. However,  I did not gain any new information since what was presented has already been shared to us by our pedia-nephro.

Sadly, I was not able to pay attention to the next topics: Rashes in Children and The ABCs of Allergy. That was the time they served lunch. I was so hungry, I devoted my full attention to my food (two thumbs up for the food!).

The last presentation was I think the longest, but I did not mind. I actually enjoyed Dr. Treichler's talk about School Readiness. She outlined the indicators for school readiness:

• Health & physical development
• Social & emotional maturity
• Approaches towards learning
• Language development & communication
• Intelligence & general knowledge

She also cited indicators that children might not be ready:

• patterns of slow development in the family
• child has chronic disease
• prematurity - premature children have "catch up" period.
• child is scattered, unfocused and unable to control themselves at 3 years old
• child has short attention span
• child has difficulty with laterality (can't identify left & right)
• separation anxiety at 5 years old
• spoiled (!)

For the parents, she also mentioned the things we could do to help our children:

• sufficient nourishment & sleep (sleep is very important!)
• ensure physical & emotional safety
• mold pre-learning skills (ex. develop sitting behavior by  reading to the child)
• provide enriching experience (ex. trip to the zoo, ballet/football classes)
• allow opportunities for socialization
• encourage curiosity
• teach self-help skills (ex. teach them to wash their hands)
• regulate TV & computer exposure- the TV is not a baby sitter
• set limits

And the most important takeaway for the whole lecture is a quotation shared by Dr. Treichler: Don't prepare the path for the child, prepare the child for the path.

To the speakers, the pediatric department and the marketing team of Makati Medical Center, a big thank you  for organizing these lectures. My only wish is that attendees can request for soft copies of the presentations :)

Thank you also to the sponsors of the lecture(Mustela, Safety1st,MomsToday,Cetaphil). To Charlene of Mustela, thank you for the sample you provided. The diaper cream was really effective for treatment of diaper rashes. :)