Illustration: Natasia Designs
Pediatric researchers at the University of Alberta are collaborating at the highest levels to design user-friendly resources for parents struggling to support their children through a wide range of common childhood illnesses and diagnoses. Here are three recent innovations designed to make life a bit easier for families.
Videos that explain how to treat common childhood ailments
Researchers: Stollery Science Lab Distinguished Researchers Shannon Scott, '06 PhD and Lisa Hartling, '90 BSc(PT), '10 PhD
Funders: Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada, Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation through the Women and Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI)The best way to inform parents of the latest evidence on the diagnosis and treatment of childhood illnesses is to tell them a story.
One in five kids in Canada who go to the emergency department don't need to be there, says nursing professor Shannon Scott, Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Translation in Child Health. Scott and Lisa Hartling, pediatrics professor and Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Synthesis and Translation, work together to develop accessible resources for parents wondering how to treat their kids' common ailments.
During the development phase, the WCHRI team members work with emergency and clinical experts, and with a target group of parents and children who provide valuable input-such as where they sought information, what information was missing, how they made the decision to go to the emergency department and what information they needed to care for their child later at home.
Their latest video, Cough, Cold and Wheeze: How to Help Manage Your Child's Bronchiolitis, received a Special Commendation from the 2019 Canadian Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health video competition.
- by Gillian Rutherford
Conversation cards for improved health and weight
Researchers: Maryam Kebbe, '19 PhD and Geoff Ball, '02 PhD
Funders: Alberta Health Services Maternal, Newborn, Child & Youth Strategic Clinical Network, Obesity Canada, Alberta Health Services Chair in Obesity Research, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, and the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation through WCHRITalking to teens about their health and weight can be a challenge, especially when it concerns lifestyle behaviours. Maryam Kebbe and pediatrics professor and WCHRI member Geoff Ball created CONversation Cards for Adolescents© to empower health-care professionals and their teen patients to have these critical conversations. The initiative was bolstered by requests from clinicians for a teen-tailored, bilingual tool to use in weight management clinics and parents' desire to involve their kids in discussions.
The 45 palm-sized cards each have a statement that guides conversations between teens and health-care professionals working in weight management. Teens choose from among seven themes (nutrition, physical activity, sedentariness, sleep, mental well-being, relationships and clinical factors) and three categories (barriers, enablers, recommendations). The card choice indicates the teen's own priorities for discussions with clinicians to address healthy lifestyle and weight.
Overall, these cards help shift conversations from a narrow focus on weight to a broader discussion around health and well-being.
Both English and French card decks are available for order on the Obesity Canada website.
- by Tamara Vineberg and Judith Chrystal
Workbook to support families dealing with celiac disease
Researchers: Justine Turner, MD
Funders: Canadian Celiac AssociationIf your child has celiac disease, you will need two of everything in your kitchen-just one source of extra expense faced by families dealing with Canada's most common autoimmune disorder.
U of A pediatric gastroenterologist and WCHRI member Justine Turner served as scientific adviser for a new guide for parents, Growing Up Celiac, which recommends food for celiac children be prepared using a separate toaster, butter dish, cutting board and utensils-at home, at daycare and at school. The guide, developed by the Canadian Celiac Association, aims to share accurate, accessible information about celiac disease with families of children who are newly diagnosed, says Turner, medical lead for the Multidisciplinary Pediatric Celiac Disease Clinic at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton.
People with celiac disease must avoid ingesting any gluten, ever, and they won't grow out of it.
The long-term impact of untreated celiac disease and its related nutrient deficiencies can include fertility problems, osteoporosis and an elevated risk of developing other autoimmune disorders such as diabetes.
"For the most part, what we're interested in is preventing health consequences down the track, as well as helping people with symptoms to feel better," Turner says.
- by Gillian Rutherford