Program – Child Nutrition Digital Series

This digital series focuses on aspects of child and adolescent nutrition that impact overall health. Each hour-long session will introduce learners to a hot topic in Child Nutrition. Content will be cumulative across sessions. All sessions are held from 4:30pm – 5:30pm ET

Breastfeeding, breast milk substitutes and feeding preterm infants February 2, 2023	Rebecca Hoban MD, MPH Director, Breastfeeding Medicine, Sickkids Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics Staff Neonatologist, Sickkids This 1-hour talk will cover a wide range of common neonatal feeding topics, focusing on breastfeeding/lactation for typical and at-risk populations, including: Benefits of human milk and differences between parent milk, donor milk, and formula Getting off to a good start – the basics of lactation physiology to learn how (and why) to support parents in lactation initiation Answers to the most common parent questions, from cannabis and medication use to ensuring their infant is getting enough milk
Is my patient growing ok? February 16, 2023	Jessie Hulst MD, PhD Staff Gastroenterologist, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Sickkids Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics and Nutritional Sciences The assessment and monitoring of growth and nutritional status of developing children is critical. If a child is having problems with health or nutrition, growth is often affected. Therefore, it is important for physicians and health care providers to recognize deviations from the usual growth pattern. In this session, several topics will be highlighted using a case-based approach: normal growth, nutritional risk, growth and nutritional assessment — including anthropometric parameters — the use and interpretation of growth charts, and available clinical tools and resources.
Introduction to solids March 2, 2023	Meta van den Heuvel MD, PhD Staff Pediatrician, Division of Paediatrics Medicine Sickkids, Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto In this session, learners will gain expertise about complementary feeding in infants. Complementary feeding is defined by the World Health Organization as the “process of starting other foods when breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet the nutritional needs of infants.” The timing of complementary feeding and which foods to use will be discussed. In addition, implications for child health and development will be explored.
Picky eating March 16, 2023	Meta van den Heuvel MD, PhD Staff Pediatrician, Division of Paediatrics Medicine Sickkids, Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto In this session, learners will gain expertise about how to manage children with picky eating in their practice. Using 2 illustrative cases (an infant who refuses food, and a toddler who only eats his favorite food) participants will learn to apply the conceptual framework of a Pediatric Feeding Disorder when managing children with picky eating.
Healthy weights (preschool) March 30, 2023	Jill Hamilton MD Head, Division of Endocrinology, Sickkids Director/Chair, Centre for Healthy Active Kids Professor, Department of Paediatrics Childhood obesity rates remain high and early identification and management is key to preventing future weight-related co-morbidities. In this session, we will focus on assessment and management of the pre-adolescent child with obesity. This includes identification of the ‘red flags’ indicating potential pathologic causes of obesity, as well as an approach to counselling in the office setting.
Healthy weights (adolescents) April 13, 2023	Jill Hamilton MD Head, Division of Endocrinology, Sickkids Director/Chair, Centre for Healthy Active Kids Professor, Department of Paediatrics Adolescents with obesity are increasingly affected by co-morbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We will review screening guidelines for this population, recommended behavioural approaches to counselling, and explore therapeutic options available for use in this age group.
Food allergies April 27, 2023	Julia Upton MD, MPH, FRCP (C), FAAAI Staff Immunologist/Allergist, Division of Immunology & Allergy Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics This session will describe how early introduction and ongoing ingestion of allergenic foods can reduce the development of food allergy and recognizes that a delay in the introduction of allergenic foods can increase the development of food allergy. We will also summarize the clinical practice guidelines for feeding infants allergenic foods.
Cow and plant-based milk and bone health May 11, 2023	Jonathon Maguire MD, MSc, FRCPC Lawson Family Chair in Patient Engagement in Child Nutrition Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael’s Hospital Cow milk has been a staple of children’s diets for over a century. Many families are now choosing to provide plant milks for their children which are being marketed as healthy alternatives to cow milk. In this ‘quick hits’ session, we will focus on what we know about milk choices for children, current guidelines and practice recommendations.
Iron deficiency in young children May 25, 2023	Nicole Bourgeois MSc, RD Registered Dietitian, Family Practice Health Centre, Women’s College Hospital Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto Lauren Scott MN, NP-PHC Nurse Practitioner, Family Practice Health Centre, Women’s College Hospital Lecturer, Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto Adjunct Lecturer, L. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto Iron deficiency is a common nutritional deficiency worldwide, and young children are at risk. In this session, we will review risk factors for iron deficiency, practical dietary strategies to reduce risk, identification of iron deficiency as well as treatment approaches.
Food insecurity June 8, 2023	Valerie Tarasuk PhD, MSc, BASc, BEd, BA Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences University of Toronto In this presentation, Valerie Tarasuk will describe the current state of food insecurity in Canada, what we know about how household food insecurity impacts children’s health, what reduces food insecurity, what drives this problem and what can move the needle on it, and what can physicians do in and out of clinic to help address food insecurity.