Dr Shilpa Yadav-Dudhgaonkar who has taken charge as the president of Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Pune branch, recently is keen on prioritising the issue of obesity in children.
“Post Covid pandemic there are some studies that have shown children were affected by the closure of schools and there was a rise in cases of obesity and related comorbid conditions. The incidence has increased by at least 20 per cent,” Dr Dudhgaonkar told The Indian Express.
The IAP will roll out a training module for paediatricians and guide school teachers on how to handle this crucial aspect towards good health in children.
“It is easy to simply say the child needs to shed weight. There has to be a systematic programme with lifestyle modifications. Towards that end a multidisciplinary team, including obesity experts, endocrinologist, physiotherapist, nutritionist and psychologist are working on a training module for paediatricians,” Dr Dudhgaonkar said.
There are 750 paediatricians in Pune and once the module is ready each doctor will be urged to visit five schools and interact with the teachers and train them accordingly, she said.
Dr Dudhgaonkar was installed as the president at a ceremony held on January 15. IAP national president Dr G V Basavaraja was also present. Dr Dudhgaonkar said that the IAP Pune chapter has planned a slew of programmes this year, including conferences on neurology, gastroenterology, and rheumatology.
“This is also the silver jubilee year of the national conference on paediatric critical care. Pune will be hosting the event in December,” she said. Apart from regular continuing medical education programmes, issues like skin problems in children will also be taken up, she added.
