Obesity has become epidemic among children in the US. Kentucky has the highest rate of pediatric overweight and obesity in the country (38% of children aged 10-17 years in 2007). Pediatricians are in a unique position to intervene but require training in the evidence-based methods to do so. Obesity has severe long term health consequences, some of which are now seen in children including diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. The American Academy of Pediatrics released new recommendations for lipid screening and treatment in children in 2008. These new recommendations now include treating children with cholesterol lowering medication in some cases.

In the US, 10-11% of children have a mental health disorder adversely affecting their ability to function. These disorders are under treated, in part secondary to a lack of pediatric mental health providers. In 2009, the American Academy of Pediatrics published new mental health competencies for practicing pediatricians.  These include screening and developing an appropriate care plan for mental health disorders. Pediatricians need to be trained in order to acquire these competencies designed by their professional organization.

3)  The year 2009 was marked by the first influenza pandemic in many years.   The CDC estimates 71,000 hospitalizations and 1090 deaths attributable to H1N1 infection in children from April 2009 to November 14, 2009.  Every year over a hundred children die from seasonal influenza infections, many of them have secondary bacterial infections at the time of death.  This burden of disease makes it important for pediatricians to understand the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of influenza and other respiratory infections.
 
The American Academy of Pediatrics has identified improving the treatment of children with special healthcare needs as a priority. The 2005/2006 National Survey of Children with Special Healthcare Needs identified 18.5% of Kentucky’s children as having special healthcare needs, far more than the national average of 13.9%. Only 47.3% of these children in Kentucky receive comprehensive, ongoing, coordinated care in a medical home. Kentucky ranked 41 out of 50 states for child health in the 2009 Annie E Casey Kids Count data book. This ranking takes into account prematurity, death rates, and other vital and health statistics for children. This data indicates a need for education in the area of chronic conditions and special needs children.

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants will be able to:

1. Identify key consequences of pediatric obesity.
2. Explain screening and management of some of those consequences, including hyperlipidemia and diabetes.
3. Discuss strategies for preventing and managing pediatric overweight and obesity in primary care practice.
4. Discuss diagnosis and treatment of straightforward mental health and functional disorders in the primary care office setting, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and functional gastrointestinal disorders.
5. Review clinical presentation, pathophysiology, treatment, and prevention of respiratory infectious diseases including pneumonia and influenza.
6. Discuss diagnosis, prevention, and management of a variety of chronic medical conditions and special healthcare needs in children including prematurity, congenital heart defects, hearing loss, dental caries, skin conditions, asthma and orthopedic problems.

This conference is designed for pediatricians, pediatric specialists, family medicine physicians, pediatric nurse practitioners, family medicine nurse practitioners, physicians in resident training, nurses, and physician assistants.

Faculty presenters of continuing education activities sponsored by the UK Colleges of Medicine and Nursing are expected to disclose any real or perceived conflict of interest. Copies of faculty disclosures will be included in the participant program materials or given prior to the lecture.