AllerGen CHILD Study Findings Correlate Infant Feeding Methods to Increased Risk of Overweight

The study involved 1,087 Canadian mothers and infants participating in the CHILD Study and found a 63% increased risk of overweight among partially breastfed infants, and a 102% increased risk among exclusively formula-fed infants. It was found that exclusive breastfeeding in early infancy protects babies from becoming overweight by age one. The researchers believe that these differences relate to the effect of feeding practices on the infant gut microbiome—the community of microorganisms or bacteria that live in the human digestive tract.

With formula feeding, “more types of microbes were present in the baby’s gut, as well as an abundance of a group of bacteria called Lachnospiracae, which has been associated with infant overweight,” notes study co-author Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta.

The study, published June 4, 2018, in JAMA Pediatrics, is one of the largest infant microbiome studies in the world, identifying over 900 types of bacteria from 2.6 million DNA sequences generated from more than 1,000 infants.

Drs Meghan Azad and Jessica Forbes from the University of Manitoba were co-first authors on the paper. Drs James Scott, University of Toronto, and Anita Kozyrskyj were co-senior authors.

For more information, visit the press release on the study found here.

The Great Canadian Giving Challenge 2018

The Annual Charity Draw with a $10,000 Prize

During the month of June, any donations made will go the extra mile thanks to the Great Canadian Giving Challenge, brought to you by GIV3 and CanadaHelps. Every $1 donated to any registered Canadian Charity will automatically enter them to win a $10,000 donation!  The challenge begins June 1, 2018 at midnight (NDT) and ends June 30, 2018 at 11:59:59PM (PDT). Additionally, the more you give, the higher the chances are that your charity of choice will win. The grand prize draw will take place on Canada Day, July 1, 2018 and $10,000 will be donated to the winning charity. Note that only donations made through givingchallenge.ca or CanadaHelps.org will be entered to the prize draw. So, get donating and support your favorite charity in a big way!

For more details and to check which charities qualify, visit the official Giving Challenge website here.

imTEEN receives a Canadian Health and Informatics Award for Innovation

Last night, the imTEEN project team consisting of WeUsThem, Dr. Stan Kutcher, The Sandbox Project and TELUS Health was awarded the prestigious Canadian Health Informatics Award in Patient Care Innovation.

Presented by Digital Health Canada and ITAC Health, the Canadian Health Informatics Award in Patient Care Innovation recognizes a for-profit healthcare ICT company and client team (private and public sector) that has successfully implemented a health-IT solution that has positively impacted patient care in innovative ways.

With imTEEN, teens can monitor signs and symptoms of mental illness. The app allows users to monitor moods and feelings, keep track of appointments and set reminders. Users are also able to take mental health assessments, communicate with loved ones, and access self-help resources all within the app. imTEEN empowers youth to track and take care of their mental health on a daily basis.

"imTEEN is an integral part of an electronic youth mental health care solution that helps young people get well and stay well, linking them with their care providers for best evidence available care. This solution has been designed for use in primary care settings to help enhance rapid access to effective mental health care for young people and their families,” said Dr. Stan Kutcher. “Recent research findings have demonstrated that it is ready for application in those community settings interested in applying innovative solutions to improve mental health care of young people.”

The app is connected to a TELUS Electronic Medical Record (EMR) allowing for live updates to flow through to the user’s doctor. Users can send information on medications, assessments and activities they undertake directly to healthcare providers. This information is used for early intervention care and opens up communication between the user, their healthcare provider and loved ones.

“The Sandbox Project’s network of child and youth health professionals tell us that to address the challenges of access to youth mental health services, what we really need is creative innovation by experts, youth, and the public and private sectors working together,” said Christine Hampson, President & CEO of The Sandbox Project.

Through market research and extensive healthcare marketing experience, WeUsThem created an app that appeals to youth that facilitates personal health management along with live communication on their health needs. With a professional and engaging presentation, the app changes the way youth communicate symptoms and progress with healthcare providers.

“Receiving an award as an agency is an absolute honour, but receiving an award in healthcare nationally is a testament to how our team understands and thrives in delivering unique solutions,” said WeUsThem CEO, Ashwin Kutty. Principal and Chief Creative Officer, Faten Alshazly added, “The number of years of working with preeminent researchers have allowed us to understand the needs of patients and their loved ones adding to our collective sense of making an impact in our communities and the lives of those that need it the most.”

The Sandbox Youth Mental Health Initiative and imTEEN are made possible by TELUS Health, the Graham Boeckh Foundation, RBC, Medavie Health Foundation, ECHO Foundation, the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation and the Citrine Foundation of Canada. 

To learn more about imTEEN, please click here. 

Source: WeUsThem

PHE Canada Launches Physical Literacy E-Learning Certification

PHE Canada champions healthy, active kids by promoting and advancing quality health and physical education opportunities and healthy learning environments.

Physical Literacy: An Introduction is an interactive online learning experience that provides educators, coaches, and recreational leaders with a fundamental understanding of physical literacy and the importance of encouraging lifelong movement, skill development, and enjoyment of physical activity.

Completion of the program will ensure the confidence, skills, and strategies to implement quality programming that fosters physical literacy and supports the holistic development of all children and youth.  

Click here for more information on PHE Canada. 

If you’d like to register for the online learning experience, click here.

Call for Proposals: 3rd Canadian National Fatherhood Conference

February 28 - March 1, 2019

Ottawa, Ontario

Side-by-Side: Fatherhood Matters in the Early Years

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS FRIDAY JUNE 15th

Dads and other male-caregivers engaging with their children are far more prevalent nowadays, and from what is known, establishing a connection earlier on directly and positively correlates to the strength of it. The conference, hosted by Dad Central, will call together workers, clinicians, practitioners, managers, and researchers from across Canada to present and share their work with fathers. Additionally, Dr. Stuart Shanker and Dr. Cindy-Lee Dennis have confirmed their attendance as keynotes!   

This year's conference will focus on the topics of:

• Prenatal experiences and support
• Early bonding and attachment
• Post-partum issues
• Mental health of the father, the family, and those around him
• Ways to support and encourage a diversity of male-caregiver roles such as grandfathers, stepfathers, foster fathers and more Innovative services or programs for early years fatherhood
• Research into understanding the needs of early years fatherhood

The 3rd Canadian National Fatherhood Conference is for anyone interested in engaging fathers in their community with services, programs, or resources. The goal is to help provide fathers with the knowledge and support needed around the healthy development of children.

Submissions for 90-minute workshops and poster presentations are invited. Although the focus of this conference is on the early years of development, proposals on other issues facing men as parents are equally welcome.

Details:

• Proposals must focus on the objectives outlined in the RFP below.
• Proposals must summarize the practical strategies that will be shared with participants.
• Deadline for submissions is June 15, 2018.
• Submissions must be emailed to info@dadcentral.ca.
• Notifications will be sent out by June 30, 2018.

For more details, download the Request for Proposals in both English and French.