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Children's Hospital Marks Eating Disorders Awareness Observance
Adolescent Medicine Program Offers Crucial Eating Disorders Consultation Services
Recently the U.S. marked the 24th annual National Eating Disorders Awareness Week - an observance organized by the National Eating Disorders Association to wage war against eating disorders and raise awareness of the need for more research, support and access to treatment for these life-threatening illnesses.
A recent study by the National Institutes of Mental Health found that about 3 percent of U.S. adolescents are affected by an eating disorder, but most do not receive treatment for their specific eating condition. In this new study, the authors tracked the prevalence of eating disorders and the proportion of those youth who received treatment for these disorders through a nationally representative, face-to-face survey of more than 10,000 teens ages 13 to 18.
According to the data, 0.3 percent of youth have been affected by anorexia, 0.9 percent by bulimia, and 1.6 percent by binge-eating disorder. The researchers also tracked the rate of some forms of eating disorders not otherwise specified (ED-NOS), a catch-all category of symptoms that do not meet full criteria for specific disorders but still impact a person's life.
Keren Phillips, M.D., director of the Adolescent Medicine Program at The Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, which provides consultations for eating disorders, notes that ED-NOS is the most common eating disorder diagnosis.
"Overall, another 0.8 percent had sub-threshold anorexia, and another 2.5 percent had symptoms of sub-threshold binge-eating disorder," she says. "The prevalence of these disorders and their association with suicidal thinking suggest that eating disorders are a major public health concern. In addition, the significant rates of sub-threshold eating conditions support the notion that eating disorders tend to exist along a spectrum and may be better recognized by doctors if they included a broader range of symptoms."
Dr. Phillips also notes that the findings clearly underscore the need for better access to treatment specifically for eating disorders.
To learn more about the Adolescent Medicine Program at The Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, or to schedule an eating disorders consultation, call 732-923-7250.
CHILDREN, EATING DISORDERS & SYMPTOMS
To be sure your child isn't developing an eating disorder, be on the look out for the following signs and symptoms:
· dramatic weight loss
· obsession with losing weight
· anxiety or depression
· criticizes herself or her weight
· suffers from low self-esteem
· brags about her weight loss
· has an unrealistic view of her body
· eats alone or in secret
· hoards food
· avoids parties/events where food might be involved
· has bizarre food rituals
· goes to the bathroom right after eating
· uses clothing to hide weight loss
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Sipersteins Teams With Local Muralist to Create Soothing Seascape on Children's Psyhciatric Unit
The power of the creative process as a vehicle for healing, communication, self-expression and personal growth is a time-honored tradition.
Art and psychology are often uniquely combined in the treatment of children and adults with psychiatric disorders, and for a local artist, the two recently came together to provide a powerful means to give visual shape to soothing murals for Monmouth Medical Center's inpatient psychiatric units.
Bob Mataranglo, a video artist and muralist, recently donated his time and talent to create soothing waterscapes for the children's inpatient psychiatric unit at Monmouth Medical Center.
The Lakewood-based artist, who created his first mural 10 years ago for Family Pharmacy in Long Branch's West End, has teamed with Sipersteins' owner Todd Katz, a Monmouth Medical Center board member, over the years for a host of colorful murals, including the one that adorns an exterior wall of Sipersteins' Long Branch headquarters. Sipersteins donated the paint for the mural, as well as a subsequent mural Mr. Mataranglo agreed to paint upstairs on the adult inpatient psychiatry unit. "To further healing, we look to incorporate holistic healing by addressing the physical environment on the mental, emotional, and physical states of our patients," says Jorge Cagide, administrative director of Behavioral Health Services for Monmouth. "We are so thankful to Bob and Todd Katz and Sipersteins for their support of our patients." A retired corporate engineer, Mr. Mataranglo holds a master's degree in engineering but returned to school to study art and filmmaking. He retired last June from teaching mural painting at Ocean County and Brookdale community colleges and film and editing at Kean University and Monmouth University. Over the last 10 years, he has created hundreds of murals, including artwork created for non-profit agencies benefiting children with autism and local arts councils. Additionally, he has won awards for his animated films in seven countries. Monmouth Medical Center's pediatric inpatient psychiatric unit is the only state-designated program in Monmouth and Ocean counties for children and adolescents with acute emotional, behavioral or psychiatric problems. The 19-bed unit provides care for children and adolescents age 5 to 17 residing in Monmouth and Ocean counties who have been screened for psychiatric admission through the hospital's Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services (PESS). The unit's team of professionals includes a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, licensed social worker, psycho-pharmacologist, adjunctive therapist, education coordinator, mental health associates and a discharge planner. They treat children for a host of psychiatric conditions, including mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and bi-polar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. Their goal is to stabilize the patient within a short period of time and develop a discharge plan for a successful transition to community-based services. "The CCIS caregivers should be applauded and honored for their work; it was inspiring for me to see them day after day," Mataranglo said. "I don't know what the families of these children would do without this service. It was a great learning experience for me." For all children and adolescent psychiatric emergencies and referrals, contact PESS at 732-923-6999. For non-emergency, general information, contact the CCIS regional response coordinator at 732-923-6927. |
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Donation to NICU Enhances Care of Newborns with Brain Injuries
The Hiriar and Anna Hovnanian Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center is the first in Monmouth County to debut crucial equipment that can help heal brain injuries suffered by full-term newborns.
A hypothermia program, combining use of a cooling blanket and bedside Cerebral Function Monitor (CFM), was recently introduced at The Children's Hospital at Monmouth, whose Regional Newborn Center encompasses a neonatal intensive care unit that cares for more than 500 fragile newborns each year. This bedside EEG technology used in conjunction with the portable cooling unit lowers the body temperature of full-term babies who suffer perinatal asphyxia - a brain injury at birth - offering hope of a more complete recovery.
Shown at left in the Hiriar and Anna Hovnanian Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Susan Hudome, M.D., the NICU's medical director, demonstrates the bedside Cerebral Function Monitor funded by Michael's Feat, whose founder, Dana Puharic, is shown center, with Margaret Fisher, M.D., chair of pediatrics and medical director of The Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center.
Perinatal asphyxia is the medical condition resulting from deprivation of oxygen (hypoxia) to a newborn infant long enough to cause apparent harm. It results most commonly from a drop in maternal blood pressure or interference during delivery with blood flow to the infant's brain.
Although rare, occurring in approximately two to 10 per 1,000 newborns that are born at term, the damage caused by the condition can be devastating, according to neonatologist Susan Hudome, M.D., medical director of the Regional Newborn Center at Monmouth.
"Damage can occur to most of the infant's organs, but brain damage is of most concern and perhaps the least likely to quickly and completely heal," she says. "In severe cases, an infant may survive, but with damage to the brain that results in developmental delays and other neurological problems."
A newborn suffering severe asphyxia usually has poor responsiveness, muscle tone, and respiratory effort, Dr. Hudome explains.
"If resuscitation is successful, the infant is transferred to a neonatal intensive care unit, where the availability of a cerebral function monitor means valuable information on brain activity can be obtained and acted upon quickly," she says.
An abnormal CFM trace in the first six hours of a full-term baby' life, plus changes in clinical exam indicate the baby is at risk of long-term neurodevelopmental problems. The CFM also provides information on duration, intensity and frequency of neonatal seizures that may be helpful in diagnosis and treatment.
"The bedside CFM prior to treatment and then during the course of treatment allows us to monitor the baby's brain and its responsiveness to the cooling therapy," Dr. Hudome says. "The cooling therapy has been studied for some time and has shown to be very effective in creating better outcomes for these babies. It has been shown that the best outcome results when we initiative treatment within the first six hours of life."
Noting that funding for the equipment was provided through Michael's Feat, a non-profit organization established to support parents caring for seriously ill newborns in Monmouth and Ocean counties, Dr. Hudome says the donation has allowed Monmouth to continue to deliver the highest level of care available in any Level III NICU.
"If you have to transfer the baby to another hospital, this creates delays that can prevent treatment from beginning within six hours of birth," she says. "And by having the technology right here at Monmouth, we don't have to separate a mother from her newborn."
Recently, Monmouth Medical Center dedicated the Michaels Feat Family Waiting Room in the Regional Newborn Center. The room was designed to bring comfort to patient's families during their stay at the NICU, and is available to families 24 hours a day.
Michael's Feat was founded in memory of Michael Puharic, who died three days after his birth from a serious chromosome disorder. His parents, Adam and Dana Puharic, earmark proceeds of a host of fund-raising events to support neonatal services at Monmouth as well as other area hospitals.
"We are so grateful to Michael's Feat for their fund-raising efforts in support of the Regional Newborn Center," says Dr. Hudome, who notes that the organization marks its 10th anniversary in July.
Monmouth's Regional Newborn Center is a state-designated Level III regional perinatal center - the largest of its kind in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Within the RNC some 500 infants are treated annually for such problems as prematurity, low birth weight, acute illness and congenital orders, and for those requiring emergency surgery.
To learn more about the Regional Newborn Center at The Children's Hospital at Monmouth, call 888-SBHS-123. To learn more about Michael's Feat, call 732-239-7887 or visit their Web site at michaelsfeat.org.
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Care Pages - Helping You Keep in Touch
 Discover an innovative way for patients and families to stay connected. Create or visit a patient web page. Monmouth Medical Center and CarePages.com have teamed up to help patients use the Internet to communicate with friends and loved ones while they are in the hospital! >> Learn more about using Care Pages at Monmouth | |
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Philanthropic Spirit Starts Young for a Children's Hospital Supporter
Shrewsbury resident Sheridan Sainato raised $1,270 for the Hiriar and Anna Hovnanian Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center when 28 people honored her request for donations to the NICU in lieu of gifts for her 7th birthday. She is shown here holding a selection of neonatal care items that the NICU nurses presented to her when she traveled with her mother to The Children's Hospital to deliver the donation. |
Monmouth Medical Dental Residents Host Eighth Annual Give Kids a Smile
 The Monmouth Medical Center Dental Residency Program recently hosted its eighth annual "Give Kids a Smile" Day - a program sponsored by the American Dental Association and the New Jersey Dental Association to provide free dental care to children ages 3 to 12 who do not have access to regular dental care. At Monmouth, dental residents, staff and faculty provide free dental exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and dental sealants along with interactive oral hygiene instructions. Shown here, Michelle E. Ziegler, D.D.S., director of the General Practice Dental Residency Program at Monmouth Medical Center, talks with 10-year-old Jaden Constable of Ocean. |
Community Calendar & Upcoming Events
April 2 - Safe Sitter;
Youngsters age 11 to 13 will learn ways to become responsible, creative and attentive babysitters during Monmouth Medical Center's nationally recognized Safe Sitter program. To be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the program is led by certified Safe Sitter instructors, who place a special emphasis on handling emergencies and offers instruction in safety precautions, care for a choking infant or child and calling for emergency help. It culminates with a graduation ceremony in which participants will receive a certificate of completion and a subscription to Safe Sitter magazine. Presented by certified Safe Sitter instructors, the course costs $50 per child. To register for this program, call 888-SBHS-123, then choose prompt 4.
April 21 - Free Child Car Seat Inspections; 5 - 8 p.m. Free child seat inspections will be conducted by Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians. The inspections are offered through a cooperative effort of the Long Branch Police Department, The Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center's SAFE KIDS Chapter. To schedule a convenient appointment, call 888-SBHS-123, prompt 4.
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Book-Signing Features Very Big Children's Hospital Friend
The Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center recently hosted an event to celebrate its biggest friend.
The event, a book signing, marked the publication of Norman: Special Delivery, the first in a series of children's books depicting the adventures of Norman, a 200-pound English mastiff. Karen Leahey, Colts Neck resident and Norman's handler, wrote and illustrated the book, which details his first days as a volunteer with Monmouth Medical Center's Pet Therapy Program.
Samantha Whelan was among the many visitors to a book signing at The Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center for a children's book depicting the adventures of Norman, the 200-pound English mastiff shown here.
Norman, who was born January 20, 2007, first met Leahey, a self-taught artist, when he was just 10 weeks old and weighed a mere 32 pounds. According to Leahey, who drives him to various medical facilities for his volunteer work, it was love at first sight.
Norman is able to "lumber down the halls of a hospital because he is a licensed therapy dog, and is permitted to go where most creatures with tails are not," notes a Web site dedicated to Norman
"My favorite place to volunteer is The Children's Hospital at Monmouth," according to Norman's Web site. "My visits help to cheer the children up. In other words, I make them smile, and they inspire me."
The use of therapy dogs has been shown to help reduce stress for pediatric patients and their families. The Children's Hospital's team of volunteer handlers and therapy animals provide positive interactions that bring the unconditional love of an animal to the bedside, which contributes to the emotional and physical healing process.
In addition to Norman, pet therapy dogs who visit The Children's Hospital at Monmouth weekly include Tilly, an English bull dog, Abbie Rose, a West Highland terrier, and Buddy, a golden retriever. Adult patients also benefit from the Pet Therapy Program at Monmouth, with regular visits to the Radiology Department by a beagle named Wally.
The book signing for Norman: Special Delivery was held outside the Monmouth Medical Center Gift Shop, which is located in the main lobby and is its shelves with the Norman book series. The series will continue this fall with Norman Goes to the Park and Norman's Breeds A to Z. All three titles have been published by Peapod Press, an imprint of PublishingWorks, Inc., from Exeter, N.H.
To learn more about Norman, visit his web site at www.normansbooks.com. |
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