Just about two years ago, I was asked to chair the upcoming 2011 Conference on Spirituality in Pediatrics. Little did I know at the time what an amazing journey this would be! It seemed like I had so much time to plan and now I find that it is just around the corner. It will be held October 26-28, 2011 at the Marriott Medical Center.
It's a red, white and blue themed weekend and I'm sure many of you are gearing up for a festive Fourth of July. But whether you're planning a family barbecue, heading to see a fireworks show or taking a dip in the pool, I want to remind parents to take extra safety precautions this weekend.
A few days ago, someone asked me how I feel about delivering the same safety messages time after time, month after month, year after year. He had seen me on the news the previous night as I talked about water safety, which ironically aired at the same time yet another child drowned.
Without hesitation, I found myself giving him a 2-part response:
It is challenging for parents to get good advice about what to feed their children.
One of the biggest reasons for that is the limited amount of research that has been conducted on the nutritional needs of children. It is challenging to safely conduct such research in a way that leads to a good experience for the children involved and provides information that can be translated into public policy.