The Healthy Start Coalition periodically offers Professional Education to Maternal-Child Health care providers on a variety of topics.
When funding is available, Healthy Start provides in-office trainings and seminars to update Health Professionals on relevant topics such as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Prescription Drug Use during Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Smoking Cessation, and more.
Education and CME’s
Webinar: Opportunities in Health Reform to Prevent Infant Death
“Opportunities in Health Reform to Prevent Infant Death” is now available online from the National Sudden Unexpected Infant-Child and Pregnancy Loss Resource Center. The September 2010 webinar, co-sponsored by the Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Professionals (ASIP) and the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP), covers 1) opportunities for maternal and child health under health reform legislation, 2) promoting preconception and interconception health through improved insurance coverage and benefits, 3) optimizing home visiting program investments and 4) leveraging investments from the Prevention and Public Health Fund.
Core Competencies in Breastfeeding Care and Services
The US Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) has announced the publication of the revised “Core Competencies in Breastfeeding Care and Services for All Health Professionals.” The purpose of the Competencies is to provide health care organizations with a guideline and framework to integrate evidence-based breastfeeding knowledge, skills and attitudes into standard health care delivery practice. The USBC notes that, at a minimum, every health professional should understand the role of lactation, human milk and breastfeeding in the optimal feeding of infants and young children and enhancing and reducing morbidities in women and long-term morbidities in infants and young children. In addition, all health professionals should be able to facilitate the breastfeeding care process by: preparing families for realistic expectations; communicating pertinent information to the lactation care team; and following up with the family when appropriate, in a culturally competent manner after breastfeeding care and services have been provided. The document can be downloaded HERE.
New Curriculum: Increasing Breastfeeding Success
New from Platypus Media, “Increasing Breastfeeding Success: Why it Matters and What the Research Shows” is a complete breastfeeding curriculum designed for staff and faculty training. This informative 2-CD set contains 10 evidence-based PowerPoint lactation education modules. The discs contain everything needed for a member of your staff to present a successful breastfeeding lecture. Topics include Immunology, Controversies, Sleep and Pacifiers, Research, Multicultural Aspects of Breastfeeding, Breast Pain in Lactation, Low Weight Gain, Blood Glucose in the Breastfed Neonate, The Late Pre-Term and “Supposedly Term” Infant, Latch, and Medications. Individual modules are $14.95, the complete set is $99.95. For more information, contact dia@platypusmedia.com or call 202-546-1674. For more from Platypus Media, go to http://platypusmedia.com.
Bringing Immunity To Every Community
Every Child By Two (ECBT) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) have announced the availability of a new, dynamic online continuing education course. “Bringing Immunity to Every Community” is aimed at increasing immunization competency among nurses by offering practical knowledge and skills on vaccine safety and patient communication. Highlights include a discussion of the scientific findings regarding the safety of vaccines; systems in place to ensure the ongoing safety of vaccines and adverse event reporting requirements; methods to eliminate the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as influenza and pertussis; and the critical role of vaccination of adults and, in particular, healthcare workers to reduce the spread of deadly diseases. The course features several video dramatizations where nurses take part in a dialogue with friends, co-workers and parents, providing real-life scenarios that will aid participants as they interact with individuals with concerns about vaccine effectiveness and safety. The course is available for free and provides 2.5 contact hours. To view and/or take the online course, go to http://www.yourcesource.com/ecbt/.
Reports, Research, and Tool-kits
Culturally Competent Resources through MCH Library of Georgetown University
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Library at Georgetown University has updated its Culturally Competent Services Resource Brief, a guide to Web sites and related professional resources. The Brief contains links to federal agency and other organizational Web sites, along with descriptions of selected resources. Also featured are selected resources developed by the MCH Library including an annotated bibliography on culturally competent services, links to minority health organizations and non-English-language materials and resources, and a knowledge path on racial and ethnic disparities in health. The brief is available at Maternal and Child Health Culturally Competent Resources
Impact of Maternal Flu Vaccination on Infant Hospitalization
A study published December 15th in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found that influenza (flu) vaccine given to pregnant women reduces hospitalization due to the disease in their infants. Although infants aged less than 12 months are at a high risk of hospitalization for flu, there is no flu vaccine approved for infants under six months of age. Researchers conducted a matched case-control study of infants aged less than 12 months who were admitted to a large urban hospital in the northeastern US due to laboratory-confirmed influenza during 2000-2009. For each case, one or two control subjects were enrolled (infants who tested negative for flu) and cases were matched by date of birth and date of hospitalization. The flu vaccine was found to be 91.5% effective in preventing hospitalization among infants when given to their mothers during pregnancy. To review the study online, CLICK HERE.
Second Hand Smoke and Exposure in Children
A study published online December 13th in the journal Pediatrics examines the level of secondhand tobacco-smoke exposure in children who live in multi-unit housing (particularly apartments). Even low levels of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke can put children at greater risk for a variety of illnesses. The study authors analyzed data from the 2001-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and compared tobacco-smoke biomarkers in children ages 6-18 who lived in detached houses (including mobile homes), attached houses, and apartments. Of 5,002 children who lived in a home where no one smoked inside, blood levels of cotinine (a common marker of tobacco smoke exposure) were higher in those who lived in apartments, in comparison with children in other types of housing. Children living in apartments had an increase in cotinine of 45% over those living in detached houses, with the increase at 212% for white residents and 46% for black residents (and no significant increase for those of other races/ethnicities). The study authors concluded that the tobacco smoke may have seeped through walls or shared ventilation systems, and that smoking bans in multi-unit housing may reduce children’s exposure to tobacco smoke. Access the study online – click here.
AAP Fact Sheets on Health Reform
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has created several one-page fact sheets to explain key provisions in the health reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (PL 111-152), and how they will impact children and pediatricians. The AAP Web site notes that the organization’s priorities for health reform have been addressed in the law. These include: health care coverage for all children in the US; age-appropriate benefits in a medical home; and appropriate payment rates and workforce improvements to allow real access to covered services. Access the fact sheets at http://aap.org/advocacy/washing/mainpage.htm
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