Newspaper Page Text
4 - The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, February 11, 2009
HEALTH NEWS AND FEATURES
Diabetes in Children
Diabetes is a group of
diseases that affects how the
body uses sugar in our diet.
There are two types of dia
betes. Type 1 is the most
common type of diabetes in
children and is due to a lack
of the hormone insulin.
Children develop Type 1
diabetes when the body
stops making insulin, which
allows sugar in the blood
stream - called glucose - to
be taken into the body's cells
to fuel growth and activity.
Children with this form of
diabetes have symptoms of
weight loss despite an exces
sive appetite, an excessive
thirst, and frequent and
excessive urination.
If your child shows
these symptoms, you should
consult your doctor. A sim
ple urine test is all that is
needed to test for this type of
diabetes. Delay in finding
out about this disease can
result in a life-threatening
complication, called ketoaci
dosis. There is no cure for
Type 1 diabetes, which
needs to be treated with
daily insulin injections for
life.
In the past, Type 2 dia
betes was seen only in
adults, especially over
weight adults. The current
epidemic of childhood obe
sity in the United States is
changing this. The child
with Type 2 diabetes does
not lose weight and does not
have excessive urination or
thirst. Occurring mostly at
puberty in obese children,
Type 2 diabetes may be
associated with darkening of
the skin in the neck and
underarm skin folds, prob
lems with irregular menstru
al periods and severe acne,
and family history of dia
betes. This condition is seen
much more often in African,
Hispanic, Asian, or
American Indian children.
Like Type 1 diabetes, this is
a life-long condition; treat
ment often requires the use
of oral medicines - some
times insulin injections - and
close attention to diet, exer
cise, and weight control.
Make sure that your
doctor measures your child's
height and weight at every
check-up and tracks the
body mass index, or BMI.
Overweight children in high-
risk racial groups or families
with diabetes need to be test
ed with a simple blood test
to detect Type 2 diabetes.
A Blueprint for Action: Livable
Communities for All Ages
The Greater Savannah
Coalition on Aging and its
partners are presenting a
day-long symposium entitled
“A Blueprint for Action:
Livable Communities for All
Ages,” Experts from across
the nation will be presenting
on the issues surrounding the
impact of an aging popula
tion on local communities.
Keynote speaker, Glen
Hiemstra, Founder & CEO,
Futurist.com will present,
“How Big is the Age Wave,
and Why Don't We 'Get
It?'”
This conference is a
must for anyone working in
local government, planning,
transportation,
universal/architectural
design, the building industry,
aging services, healthcare,
and higher education. This
event will run from 8:30am
to 4:00pm at the Armstrong
Center. Registration is
$45.00 if received and
includes a continental break
fast and lunch.
Call Donna Camacho at
912-692-4575 for more info.
Prizes Offered to Entice Blood
Donors During Time of Need
In an effort to encour
age more people to give
blood and boost dwindling
supplies, Memorial
University Medical Center
and the Savannah
Community Blood Bank are
offering prizes for donors.
To celebrate Valentine's
Day, anyone who makes a
blood donation during
February has a chance to win
a free three-day, two-night
getaway weekend at the
Historic Beaufort Inn and a
$150 gift debit card.
For more information,
visit
www.memorialhealth.com,
click “About Us” and “Give
Blood,” or go to www.igive-
blood.com.
Savannah Community
Blood Bank (SCBB) is part
of The Blood Alliance.
American Diabetes Association
Hosts FREE Valentine's Day Party
The American Diabetes
Association will be hosting a
FREE Valentine's Day Party
for all children and teens
with diabetes on Sunday,
February 15, 2009 at the
Diabetes Wellness Center at
Memorial Hospital from
2:00 PM till 4:00 PM.
The FREE Valentine's
Day Party is part of the
American Diabetes
Association Family
Resource Network (FRN),
an educational and social
program for children and
families living with type 1
and type 2 diabetes.
The Family Resource
Network is a community
based network of parent vol
unteers who have children
and teenagers with diabetes.
We provide information and
services including advocacy,
education and social events
to families living with dia
betes throughout SE
Georgia.
We are dedicated to
strengthening relationships
between children with dia
betes, their families, their
diabetes care team and their
school and improving educa
tion and awareness.
The American Diabetes
Association is committed to
serving the special needs
children with diabetes and
their families:
• Targeted Medical
Research
• Islet cell replacement
initiative
• Infant screening pro
gram
• Diabetes Camp
• Camp JADA - Four-day
camp located in Jacksonville
in June for children with
diabetes
• Advocacy
• ADA works to fight
school discrimination and to
increase federal funding for
diabetes research, prevention
programs and medical insur
ance coverage
• Wizdom Kit
• A FREE kit of wit and
wisdom for children with
diabetes and their families
• Planet D Youth Web
site
• A comprehensive inter
active site just for children
and teens with information
about food & nutrition,
insulin and emotional issues,
ways to connect with others.
• Parents e-Newsletter
• Bi-monthly updates of
news, information, tips, and
hints just for parents of chil
dren and teens with diabetes
Information on ADA
programs and services for
children with diabetes is
available at
www.diabetes.org or contact
Maria Center at the
Savannah Chapter of the
American Diabetes
Association at mcenter@dia-
betes.org or 912-353-8110,
x3091.
Georgia Department of Community
Health to Hold Electronic Health
Information Forum
The Georgia
Department of Community
Health, Office of Health
Information Technology and
Transparency, will hold a
forum to educate consumers
on electronic health records
on Monday, February 23, at
4:30 p.m. The fonim will
take place in the first floor
meeting room of the
Department of Family and
Children Services at 761
THE SAVANNAH TRIBUNE
1805 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Savannah, Georgia 31401
Ph. (912) 233-6128 FAX (912) 233-6140
www.savannahtribune.com
Shirley B. James
Publisher and Editor
Tanya Milton
Vice President/Advertising Director
tanya@savannahtribime.com
Sharon P. Smiley
Managing Editor
sharon@ savannahtribune .com
Horacio Allen
Graphic Designer
A. Camille James Rachelle J. Gregory
Education Editor Staff Writer
Zyon D. Smiley
Staff Writer
Frederick D.Gregory
Staff Writer
Walter Moore
Sports Writer
Published weekly by The Savannah Tribune, Inc.
Deadlines for news releases and advertisements:
Fridays 12:00 noon
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Year $55.00
Mail your check or money order today!
The opinions expressed in this publication are
not necessarily those of the publisher.
Third class postage paid at Savannah, Georgia
Member:
National Newspaper Publishers Association
NNPA - Washington, D.C.
All rights are reserved. No part of this work may be repro
duced or copied in any form or by any means, graphic, elec
tronic or mechanical including photography, without writ
ten permission of the publisher.
Wheaton Street in Savannah.
The forum is free and open to
the public.
The forum is being held
as part of an initiative by the
Health Information Security
and Privacy Collaboration
(HISPC). Georgia is one of
eight states scheduled to hold
public meetings and distrib
ute information to consumers
regarding the benefits and
risks of storing and accessing
health information electroni
cally. The Savannah forum
will include panelists from
HISPC and the Georgia
Department of Community
Health, Office of Health
Information Technology and
Transparency.
“Our goal is to educate
consumers about electronic
health records and access to
those records,” said
Gwendolyn Glover, Health
Information Exchange
Project Manager for the
Chatham County Safety Net
Planning Council. “We
understand the concerns
regarding privacy and securi
ty when it comes to health
information and we hope to
address those concerns at this
forum.”
The forum is open to
the public. For more infor
mation and to RSVP for the
event, please call 644.5213.
EyeCare America
Offers Free Eye Exams
M29WestBai Street
Office n 2-233-2133
Savannah, GUI 415
I h\ 912-233-2136
EyeCare America, a
public service program of the
Foundation of the American
Academy of Ophthalmology,
is reminding seniors that
sometimes, "The Best
Things in Life are Free,”
and, that you can’t put a
price tag on love, friendship
or the importance of eye
sight. This Valentine’s Day
campaign encourages those
age 65 and older to call
EyeCare America’s Seniors
EyeCare Program to see if
they qualify for a free exam.
EyeCare America’s
national Valentine’s Day
health campaign runs
through the month of
February encouraging people
to call the EyeCare America
Seniors EyeCare Program.
This program offers eye
exams and up to one year of
medical care at no out-of-
pocket cost for seniors who
are without an ophthalmolo
gist (a medical eye doctor).
To see if you, a loved
one or a friend, 65 and older,
is eligible to receive a refer
ral for an eye exam and care,
call 1-800-222-EYES
(3937). The Seniors EyeCare
Program help line operates
24 hours a day, every day,
year-round.
/Mndnbidnlk r Wnlinl
- ftmtirie? coonselinland aftercareto families
- Compassionate and caring staff
Sen ices lbttiifi the means of all. remand less of financial status
- lasting tribute conducted with sympathy and djgjirty*
Health
Matters