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MARCH 2012 SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR COVERAGE
National Nutrition Month
Summary: "Get your plate in shape" is the theme for the 2012 National Nutrition Month in March. The event is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually each March by the American Dietetic Association, and focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
Suggested angle(s): A proper diet and healthy nutrition choices are integral to fighting disease and developing a strong, healthy body - particularly for growing children. Parents and children alike can gain awareness of how nutrition affects such areas as oral health and bone development, and why it's important to limit such "kid-friendly" dietary choices like sugary drinks and fat- and salt-laden snack items.
Potential interviews/locations: AzAAP has an active ongoing effort to combat childhood obesity. Pediatricians from the AzAAP Obesity Committee, who developed the "5210 AZ Way To Go!" Obesity Prevention toolbox, can offer insights and tips on this important topic. This includes eating 5 servings a day of fruits and vegetables, spending 2 hours or less a day in front of a screen, spending at least 1 hour a day doing something active and striving for 0 sweetened drinks a day.
Read Across America Day - March 2, 2012
Summary: Established in 1998, the National Education Association's Read Across America event is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss.
Suggested angle(s): More than 800 Arizona pediatric health care professionals embrace and facilitate reading motivation through the Reach Out and Read Arizona (RORAZ) initiative in their individual offices. Part of the national Reach Out and Read program, RORAZ promotes early literacy by giving new books to children ages six-months to five years of age during their well-child visits. Pediatricians also share important insights with parents on the importance of reading aloud daily with their children.
Potential interviews/locations: AzAAP presents the 3rd Annual Books Eggstravaganza breakfast on March 2 in celebration of organizations and individuals who support and promote early childhood literacy throughout Arizona. The 2012 Storyteller Awards will honor The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, First Things First Executive Director Rhian Evans Allvin and Dr. Michael Cohen, a clinical professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. Interviews can be arranged with any of the honorees or pediatricians throughout the state who participate in the program.
International Goof-Off Day - March 22, 2012
Summary: Somebody apparently goofed off and failed to record the origins of the annual celebration known as International Goof-Off Day, but each year March 22 is recognized as a day to, well, goof off.
Suggested angle(s): For adults, International Goof-Off Day is likely seen as an opportunity to miss a deadline or maybe just take life a little less seriously than usual. For children, however, the celebration presents some interesting possibilities - from encouraging play and good, healthy fun, to using the opportunity to demonstrate the importance of responsibility in school, the family and at home.
Potential interviews/locations: AzAAP members can offer insights on how kids can goof off AND be productive at the same time. With the childhood obesity epidemic and teh need to get kids outdoors and active, International Goof Off Day is just the opportunity to help parents think of ways to have fun goofing off.
National Doctor's Day - March 30, 2012
Summary: National Doctor's Day was conceived in 1933 by Eudora Almond, a Georgia wife who thought her husband, Dr. Charles B. Almond, and his medical colleagues, deserved recognition for their tireless efforts to fight disease and keep people healthy.
Suggested angle(s): Children can and should understand the important role their pediatrician plays in their overall development, growth and future well-being. Rather than dreading a visit to the doctor, children can appreciate their physician for being interested in and dedicated to children's health and welfare. They, along with the children's parents, want to ensure that they have the brightest and healthiest future possible.
Potential interviews/locations: AzAAP members can offer tips, ideas and more to involve children in their own health and well-being, and insight into how regular visits to their pediatrician are an important part of this. AzAAP members can also help parents understand the concept of "medical home" and how this growing trend in health care can have a significant impact on health outcomes.
APRIL 2012 SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR COVERAGE
Autism Awareness Month
Summary: April 2nd has been declared World Autism Awareness Day, and the entire month of April has been designated as Autism Awareness Month, both designed to help increase and develop world knowledge of the autism epidemic and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention.
Suggested angle(s): Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. What causes autism? What are the warning signs parents should be aware of and what should they do if they suspect that their child may be afflicted by autism?
While organizations like Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC) have expertise in dealing with this disorder, AzAAP can offer a global look at the expanding special needs and issues, and how the pediatric community faces its own challenges in dealing with the huge increase in autism.
Potential interviews/locations: Pediatric experts and other practitioners can offer insights and tips on this important topic.
National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Summary: The statistics are horrific. It is estimated that five children die each day from abuse. Increasing public awareness of the need to ensure the safety and welfare of children led to the passage of the first Federal child protection legislation, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), in 1974. In 1983, April was proclaimed the first National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Suggested angle(s): By ensuring that parents, teachers, caregivers and other family members have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help prevent child abuse and neglect by strengthening families and communities. What are the best avenues for preventing abuse and what should a concerned caregiver do if abuse is suspected?
Situations like the recent case involving Jhessye Shockley create national headlines, however child abuse is even more prevalent and concerning since many instances unfortunately go unreported.
Potential interviews/locations: Pediatric experts and other practitioners can offer insights and tips on this important topic.
International Children's Book Day - April 2, 2012
Summary: April 2nd is author Hans Christian Andersen's birthday. Since 1967, International Children's Book Day has been celebrated on this day to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books. Each year, the day is sponsored by a different nation member of the International Board on Books for Young People. It decides on a theme and invites an author from that country to write a message to the children of the world and a well-known illustrator to design a poster. The sponsoring country for 2012 is Mexico.
Suggested angle(s): More than 800 pediatric health care professionals in Arizona embrace and facilitate reading motivation through the Arizona Chapter's Reach Out and Read Arizona (RORAZ) initiative. Part of a 12-time nationally peer-reviewed proven program, RORAZ promotes early literacy by giving new books to children - from 6 months to 5 years of age - during their well-check visits. As part of their regular checkups, participating pediatricians give advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud daily with their child.
Potential interviews/locations: AzAAP members across Arizona are available to discuss how they promote literacy in their practices without any reimbursements for doing so. In addition, they can offer tips for parents interested in becoming more involved in their children's reading interests and skills.
World Health Day - April 7, 2012
Summary: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared April 7 as World Health Day. In the world of pediatric medicine, AzAAP believes that starting off healthy and educated sets up individuals for a lifetime of success.
Suggested angle(s): Children don't usually come with an owner's manual. Fortunately, with today's advancements in technology and medicine, keeping your children safe and healthy is easier than ever. However, parents must be diligent in their efforts to ensure their child's health through proper immunizations, safety measures and attentiveness while they grow and explore, establishing healthy lifestyles, proper nutrition, exercise and regular visits to their pediatrician.
Potential interviews/locations: Pediatric experts and other practitioners can offer insights and tips on the world of complete and comprehensive health for children, including newer concepts for kids such as "medical home."
COMING UP FOR MAY
"National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month"
"Better Hearing and Speech Month"
"National Physical Fitness and Sports Month"
"National Stuttering Awareness Week" - May 7-13, 2012
"Children's Book Week" - May 7-13, 2012
"National Missing Children's Day" - May 25, 2012
"World No Tobacco Day" - May 31, 2012
For more information on these issues or arranging an interview, please contact one of the following people:
NOTE TO MEDIA: If you know of a colleague who could benefit from receiving these monthly advisories, please forward their contact information to Steve@inspiredconnections.net. Thank you.
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