Latest news with #CanadianPaediatricSociety
CBC
07-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Sask. expanding infant RSV immunization program
All babies born during RSV season, or 1 month before, will now be eligible for vaccine Saskatchewan is expanding its infant RSV immunization program to include all babies born one month before and during RSV season, which typically lasts from the start of October until the end of March. The change means any babies born during the respiratory syncytial virus season, or a month before, will be eligible to receive publicly funded immunization in hospital at the time of birth, the province said in a Tuesday news release. Previously, only high-risk children were targeted during their first and second RSV seasons using a multi-dose immunization, based on recommendations from the Canadian Paediatric Society, according to the province. The new immunization requires only a single dose, which will cover babies in their first RSV season, and will also be given to some high-risk infants in their second season, the province said. RSV infects the lungs and can cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis, and is a leading cause of infant hospitalizations in Saskatchewan, according to the Ministry of Health. Premature babies with chronic conditions are most at risk of severe outcomes, including death. "When you look at where this vaccine immunization has been used, there's an 80 per cent reduction in the probability that you need to visit a doctor's office for an RSV-related reason," said Dr. Terry Klassen, the Saskatchewan Health Authority's provincial department head of pediatrics. "I've seen these children in emergency," he said. "It's a very profound experience for them, and it's quite scary. The fact that we will see that reduction, and the families won't need to experience that, I think, is really important." Kimberly Woycik, the executive director of children's programs at the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said that from November 2024 to March 2025, there were just over 200 RSV hospitalizations across three major acute care sites, including Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon. "That's a significant number of hospitalizations. And we know that the really severe cases do often end up staying for six-plus days in hospitals, sometimes in intensive care," Woycik said. Klassen said that in terms of contagion, RSV is similar to a cold and can spread via touching, coughing or if you're near someone who is ill. He encourages maintaining good hygiene, like staying home if you are sick and washing your hands regularly.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New obesity guidelines for kids address when medication is an option
TORONTO — A new guideline for treating obesity in children and adolescents says medication can be helpful, but that health providers should prioritize addressing nutrition, exercise and psychological needs. Obesity Canada's first update to the pediatric obesity management guideline in almost 20 years was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal this week. The organization's scientific director, Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, says both the scientific understanding and societal impact of obesity have since changed dramatically. Sockalingam says one of the major changes is the development of GLP-1 agonist drugs — such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro — for weight loss that have been studied in adolescents 12 years of age and over. He says the starting point for treating obesity should be a discussion with patients and their families about what their goals are and what nutrition, exercise and psychological support is needed. Sockalingam says if those actions aren't working then medication or bariatric surgery might be considered, but only after discussing the benefits and risks with the patient and their family. If medications are used, it's critical that nutrition, exercise and other needed treatments are also continued, the guideline says. The discussion about using medication should also include the fact that more research is still needed to determine the long-term effects, Sockalingam said. The guideline was developed by a committee of experts from several disciplines who evaluated multiple research studies on obesity. Children and adolescents, as well as their families, also gave their input about what would be helpful for them. Obesity Canada says about one in four children age 11 years and younger and one in three adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age are considered overweight or obese. Family doctors and other health-care providers should go beyond measuring their patients' body-mass index, or BMI, when assessing them, the guideline says. That means talking to kids and their families about specific goals other than weight loss, from managing blood pressure and cholesterol to improving their quality of life. It also emphasizes that health-care providers should avoid using stigmatizing language. "Some children with obesity and families have a history of negative interactions with health-care providers, including feeling blamed and shamed," the guideline says. "It is important to use encouraging, supportive words and language during clinical conversations." The Canadian Paediatric Society says it is reviewing the new guideline. 'Obesity is a complex and multi-faceted issue that demands an individualized response. We appreciate the time and care Obesity Canada put into the updated recommendations," the society said in an emailed statement. "Our subject matter experts are carefully reviewing the guidelines as we consider adopting them.' Sockalingam, who is also the psychosocial director for the University Health Network's bariatric surgery program in Toronto, said obesity is a chronic disease and should be treated that way. "There are struggles across health professions, including some primary-care providers that still are not aware that obesity is a chronic disease and that it requires a multimodal treatment," he said. Dr. Mélanie Henderson, who was on the pediatric obesity guideline development committee, said providing comprehensive treatment often requires improved access to other specialists, such as psychologists, nutritionists, kinesiologists and social workers. "(It's) lifestyle and behavioural interventions that's the heart of pediatric obesity management and it remains so, even if you have to increase your modalities by adding pharmacotherapy or bariatric surgery," said Henderson, who is a pediatric endocrinologist and researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal. Those interventions need to be tailored to each child, she said. Rather than giving "sort of blind recommendations that you need to be active one hour per day," talk about what activities the child is interested in and determine what's doable for the family. Mental health support may be needed to help children and teens deal with problems associated with obesity, including bullying and stigma, she said. "Obesity is not a personal choice," Henderson said, noting the importance of "helping kids find the confidence in themselves to make the changes, to not get discouraged." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press
CBC
24-02-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Off-road vehicles not safe for youngest Canadians, pediatric society says
Social Sharing The Canadian Paediatric Society is calling for better regulation and safety measures to protect kids riding off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides. The society said children and adolescents make up about a third of off-road vehicle deaths. In a statement released Monday, it said federal, provincial and territorial governments should regulate the use of off-road vehicles the same way they do cars. Those regulations should require kids to be at least 16 years old to drive the vehicles and 12 years old to be a passenger, the society said. They should also make wearing government-certified helmets mandatory, as kids and teens not wearing one are five times more likely to suffer severe head or neck injuries. The society said off-road vehicles are specifically designed to be used on dirt trails and in forested areas and should never be driven on hard-surface roads. Off-road vehicles include all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and side-by-sides (SxSs), which comprise both utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) and recreational off-highway vehicles. Research suggests that being younger than 16 is a risk factor for losing control of an off-road vehicle, because the necessary developmental and cognitive skills may not be fully formed, the statement said. WATCH | Advocates call for more ATV safety following 13-year-old boy's death: Advocates call for better ATV safety regulations 2 years ago Duration 2:25 A 13-year-old boy from Saskatoon is among three people killed in separate fatal ATV crashes in Saskatchewan and Manitoba over the weekend of June 10. "Staying alert and responding appropriately to sudden changes in terrain involves 'active riding,' which requires precise hand-eye co-ordination, physical strength, balance, spatial awareness and constant attention," said the pediatric society. "These developmental skills and the cognitive maturity to link actions to consequences — specifically, the implications of unsafe behaviours for self and others and the relationships between distance, speed, and braking — tend to develop in most adolescents between 14 and 16 years of age." The pediatric society called on industry to stop marketing and selling off-road vehicles to adolescents under 16 "until safety modifications have been implemented, tested, standardized and proven to be effective in all Canadian settings." Risks for severe injury and death highlighted Provinces and territories should implement training courses and a graduated driver's licensing system for off-road vehicles, it said. Pediatricians and primary-care providers also have a role to play, it said, by educating families about the "significant risks for severe injury and death," even if the off-road vehicle is a "youth model." The group said leading causes of death and disability in pediatric ATV crashes include traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and multi-system crush-related trauma, which directly correlates with increasing vehicle size. The pediatric society acknowledged that off-road vehicles are widely used in remote areas, on farms and for Indigenous hunting and fishing. In those cases, pediatric care providers should help families reduce the risk to youth by emphasizing the need to avoid paved roads, wear a helmet at all times and only ride as a passenger on vehicles that are designed to carry more than one person.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Study found increase in RSV-associated hospitalizations in premature babies in N.S.
A new study is showing a policy change in 2016 related to the vaccination of some premature babies for RSV in Nova Scotia led to a tenfold increase in the number of infants in that group that were hospitalized with the respiratory virus. The policy was reversed in 2023, when a new RSV vaccine for infants was introduced. Halifax pediatric infectious disease physician Joanne Langley said the study shows why it's crucial to examine the effects of health-care changes and to do more to prevent infants from contracting RSV. "We wanted to make sure that there weren't a lot of children that would be harmed by that policy," said Langley, who led the study. "And what we found is that there was a much higher number of admissions when we restricted access to the antibody." RSV, which stands for respiratory syncytial virus, is a common and highly contagious respiratory infection that is especially dangerous to infants and older people. Up until 2016, babies in Nova Scotia born at 32 weeks gestation or less were eligible for palivizumab, a vaccine administered in four or five doses in an RSV season. But that year, the IWK children's hospital in Halifax dropped that eligibility down to 30 weeks and under, in line with Canadian Paediatric Society recommendations at the time. 'You feel helpless' Langley's team examined that two-week change to eligibility using provincial databases. In a study published this month, they found hospitalizations linked to RSV in Nova Scotia spiked in premature infants born at 30 to 32 weeks gestation between 2016 and 2019. There were no deaths. In 2023, the IWK policy reverted to 32 weeks gestation and under for a new vaccine, called nirsevimab. The vaccine is restricted to that group in Nova Scotia, along with infants with high-risk health concerns such as congenital heart disease. However, nirsevimab is now available for all babies in Ontario and Quebec. That's the kind of universal program Carye Leighton wants in Nova Scotia. Her two daughters, including one born at 32 weeks gestation in 2017, contracted RSV as babies and were hospitalized. Neither had been eligible for an RSV vaccine. "It's scary. You feel helpless. There's not much you can do as a parent," said the Halifax mother. "You'll start to see them kind of gasping. You're seeing their collarbone a little bit and then on the ribcage as well, like they're struggling to breathe." Carye Leighton youngest daugther was born at 32 weeks gestation. (Submitted by Carye Leighton) A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the province is reviewing an expansion of its publicly funded program for premature infants. "We are currently reviewing the publicly funded immunization program and considering opportunities to expand it to ensure the best program for all Nova Scotians," the spokesperson said. The Canadian Paediatric Society said its most recent recommendation is to offer nirsevimab to all infants. A spokesperson said in an email that the society recommended in 2015 that the cut-off for the old vaccine, palivizumab, be reduced because it "did not appear to be cost-effective" for babies born at 30 to 32 weeks gestation. "One could have predicted that the number of admissions would increase due to this policy; the increase in Nova Scotia was perhaps higher than expected, possibly because the sample size is relatively small," wrote the spokesperson. Fabiana Bacchini, executive director of the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, said providing access to the RSV vaccine for all infants is better than allowing children to get sick and require medical attention. "We're talking about financial savings for the health-care system, but also for a family perspective. We know how hard it is for families to have those babies back in the hospital," said Bacchini. In Nova Scotia, people 60 years and older living in long-term care or awaiting long-term care placement are eligible to receive an RSV vaccine for free. A pregnant person in their third trimester can pay out-of-pocket for a vaccine that would also protect their infant. MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
28-01-2025
- Health
- CBC
Study found increase in RSV-associated hospitalizations in premature babies in N.S.
A new study is showing a policy change in 2016 related to the vaccination of some premature babies for RSV in Nova Scotia led to a tenfold increase in the number of infants in that group that were hospitalized with the respiratory virus. The policy was reversed in 2023, when a new RSV vaccine for infants was introduced. Halifax pediatric infectious disease physician Joanne Langley said the study shows why it's crucial to examine the effects of health-care changes and to do more to prevent infants from contracting RSV. "We wanted to make sure that there weren't a lot of children that would be harmed by that policy," said Langley, who led the study. "And what we found is that there was a much higher number of admissions when we restricted access to the antibody." RSV, which stands for respiratory syncytial virus, is a common and highly contagious respiratory infection that is especially dangerous to infants and older people. Up until 2016, babies in Nova Scotia born at 32 weeks gestation or less were eligible for palivizumab, a vaccine administered in four or five doses in an RSV season. But that year, the IWK children's hospital in Halifax dropped that eligibility down to 30 weeks and under, in line with Canadian Paediatric Society recommendations at the time. 'You feel helpless' Langley's team examined that two-week change to eligibility using provincial databases. In a study published this month, they found hospitalizations linked to RSV in Nova Scotia spiked in premature infants born at 30 to 32 weeks gestation between 2016 and 2019. There were no deaths. In 2023, the IWK policy reverted to 32 weeks gestation and under for a new vaccine, called nirsevimab. The vaccine is restricted to that group in Nova Scotia, along with infants with high-risk health concerns such as congenital heart disease. However, nirsevimab is now available for all babies in Ontario and Quebec. That's the kind of universal program Carye Leighton wants in Nova Scotia. Her two daughters, including one born at 32 weeks gestation in 2017, contracted RSV as babies and were hospitalized. Neither had been eligible for an RSV vaccine. "It's scary. You feel helpless. There's not much you can do as a parent," said the Halifax mother. "You'll start to see them kind of gasping. You're seeing their collarbone a little bit and then on the ribcage as well, like they're struggling to breathe." A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the province is reviewing an expansion of its publicly funded program for premature infants. "We are currently reviewing the publicly funded immunization program and considering opportunities to expand it to ensure the best program for all Nova Scotians," the spokesperson said. The Canadian Paediatric Society said its most recent recommendation is to offer nirsevimab to all infants. A spokesperson said in an email that the society recommended in 2015 that the cut-off for the old vaccine, palivizumab, be reduced because it "did not appear to be cost-effective" for babies born at 30 to 32 weeks gestation. "One could have predicted that the number of admissions would increase due to this policy; the increase in Nova Scotia was perhaps higher than expected, possibly because the sample size is relatively small," wrote the spokesperson. Fabiana Bacchini, executive director of the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, said providing access to the RSV vaccine for all infants is better than allowing children to get sick and require medical attention. "We're talking about financial savings for the health-care system, but also for a family perspective. We know how hard it is for families to have those babies back in the hospital," said Bacchini. In Nova Scotia, people 60 years and older living in long-term care or awaiting long-term care placement are eligible to receive an RSV vaccine for free. A pregnant person in their third trimester can pay out-of-pocket for a vaccine that would also protect their infant.
