April Newsletter 2023

A Note from Help Me Grow Skagit's Physician Champion

Dr. Francie Chalmers

Welcome! Is it really April already?

This month’s Spring Series CME is next Thursday, 4/20/23 at 7 am. Please join us to hear Dr. Dimitri Christakis update us on the Impact of Technology on Child Development. Next month, on Thursday May 20^th, we will learn all about Pediatric Gait with Jenna Lisenby, DPT, Valley Kids Therapy. Registration and additional details for both these Learning Sessions can be found below, along with a list of resource links related to the Impact of Technology on Child Development.

Are you interested in a break from the 7 am Zoom routine? Coming in June, please try to join your colleagues and regional service and Health Care Providers at our Evening Reception at the Skagit Children’s Museum/Family Resource Center on June 8th.

As HMG Skagit’s “Physician Champion” please remember that I am available to help facilitate connections between your practice and community support services. I can be reached anytime with questions and feedback at fchalmers.md@gmail.com.

Register HERE or scan the QR code

Next up in the Child Development Series:

May 18th: Pediatric Gait

Presented by Jenna Lisenby, DPT, Valley Kids Therapy

7am - 8am Register HERE

June 8th: Evening Reception - Developmental Dialogue for Health Care Providers

Helpful Resources

Impact of Technology on Child Development

Videos: Dimitri Christakis is a pediatrician, parent, and researcher whose influential findings are helping identify optimal media exposure for children.

• TEDxRainier: “Media and Children”
•  60 Minutes: "Toddlers need laps more than apps"  
•  "Understanding Media’s Impact on Infants and Toddlers – a Pediatrician’s Perspective"

Related Articles:  

 JAMA Pediatrics:

• Longitudinal Associations Between Use of Mobile Devices for Calming and Emotional Reactivity and Executive Functioning in Children Aged 3 to 5 Years
• Outdoor Play as a Mitigating Factor in the Association Between Screen Time for Young Children and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.  Outdoor play reduces some of the negative effects of screen time for young children. Journal reference: Sugiyama, M., et al. (2023)

Pediatrics International: Screen time reduction and focus on social engagement in autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study. First published: 29 August 2022

Family Resources:

• Printable: AAP Family Media Plan (available in both English and Spanish)
• Article: Ten Practical Tips for Parents from Dr. Dimitri Christakis Mar 24, 2019 Ten Practical Tips for Parents from Dr. Dimitri Christakis — Better Screen Time
• Video: Navigating Screen Time with Your Child
• Video: Parenting in the 21st century: Navigating Social Media/Screen time/Gaming
• Video: Screen Sense: All the Need-to-Know Research on Screens for Children Under Three

The Help Me Grow Skagit website is a great place to find support for Skagit families. Please check out the Healthcare Providers page to learn about the Help Me Grow Skagit Family Resource Navigator, how to make a referral, connect with our Physician Champion, read past newsletters, and get information about upcoming CME events. If you have an idea of content to add to the page, we'd love to hear from you!

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