Healthy Kids: Pediatric concerns

FORT MYERS, Fla. – There were several interesting articles in the news this week concerning pediatrics. Here to discuss these and more is Dr. Annette St. Pierre-MacKoul.

Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping associated with improved scores in fine-motor, social domains at 4 years of age:

Prevents iron deficiency anemia
Improves fine-motor skills at age 4 yrs
Improves social skills at age 4 yrs
More evident in males
No effect on IQ
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Recommendations:

Delay cord clamping by 2-3 minutes after delivery
Especially important in preterm infants
Especially important in males
More research needed for full term infants
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Cannabis use can be prevented, reduced or delayed:

Important study:  Because of changing laws need to help teens at risk.
Participants had 2 x 90 min cognitive behavioral sessions
Sessions involved learning from real life experiences
Sessions were personality dependent
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Results:

33 percent reduction in cannabis use in first 6 months of the study.
75 percent reduction in use over the 2 year study.
Good long term reduction – 4 years over the study time.
Focus on population at risk.

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Sensation Seekers = Greatest Risk:

Require lots of stimulation, risk takers, less inhibited, less tolerant of boredom.
Highest risk of cannabis users in teens.
Sensitive to anxiety, impulsive = increased risk of drug abuse
Important with societal views and laws changing