Newsletters

Editor's report on this issue

Welcome to the Autumn edition of BACCH News which I think reflects the "growing pains" of Community Paediatrics. Our speciality is growing and developing. Cliona and Lynn's article on page 8 shows that a third of Paediatric trainees are looking for a Community post and many of those looking at acute jobs also wish to have a Community interest. Developments are many. We have a whole section on measuring growth. Following the disquiet after I published Tam Fry's article in the Spring edition Tam invited me to a fast and furious workshop to discuss this, which was held in June. Following on from that workshop I include articles by Professor David Hall, Tam and from Helen Walters who is working at the Department of Health.

Growth is not without pain and the topic is still in debate. Read about this from page 8 onwards. We are also developing new clinical tools. I was pleased when Alison Salt offered to write about a new vision test for small children. I attended the presentation of this at the BACD session of the Spring meeting at York. I think the ability and expertise to assess young children is a skill much neglected - and you need the tools to do it. Also Mathew Perriappuram gives us an audit of outcomes of Griffiths scales from page 16. I am sure many of these issues will be as hotly debated in the coffee queues (short I hope thanks to our able administrator Caroline's premeeting work) as in the lecture theatres at the ASM. Hoping to meet many of you at Reading. If you can't get there then look forward to reading about them in our Christmas edition.

Mary Jones
Editor

• From the BACCH Convener

• Chairman’s Report

• From the Academic Convener
  Children’s nutrition in the 21st Century

• Regional News

• Education News
  Sheffield course on childhood disability

• Training News
  Trainee plans for the future

• Report from the CSAC

• Reports to the BACCH Council

• SPECIAL REPORT
  New vision test for children, Strategic leadership for child healthcare, Why does parent participation matter? Transition Conference

• Research News
  Griffith’s mental development scales

• SUPPLEMENT
  Uses and abuses of the BMI, Measuring childhood obesity, Annual BMI checks still on track, Update on childhood obesity