Trends and innovations in child development

Last week, Hillel Yaffe’s Child Development and Neurology Center hosted a conference on trends and innovations in pediatric neurology and child development. The conference was dedicated as a special tribute to the late Dr. Jacob Sokol, the founder of the center, who passed away ten years ago.

The conference hall was packed with some 200 professionals, community pediatricians, family physicians, neurologists, developmental physicians and pediatric allied healthcare professionals, who were learned about trends and innovations in treating children in early childhood.

In their welcome and opening remarks, all the speakers noted that Dr. Sokol's is not only remembered because of his many years of professional practice and scientific achievements, but also because of his personality as a physician and gentleman, who was extremely knowledgeable, compassionate, attentive, earnest and unassuming.

Prof. Meir Oren, Director General of Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, who opened the symposium, stressed the importance of the day as one of the products of close cooperation between the hospital staff and medical professionals in the community. According to Prof. Oren, continuity of care between these settings is vital and ensures that patients and their families receive the best care possible.

Various lectures were given during the conference, including that of Prof. Nathaniel Zelnik, Director of Neurology and Child Development at Carmel Hospital in Haifa, who spoke about the characteristics of attention deficit disorder (ADD) in early childhood. Prof. Eli Shahar, Director of Pediatric Neurology at Rambam Hospital and Chairman of the Israeli Pediatric Neurology Association, touched on the subject of innovations in pediatric epilepsy. Dr. Tatiana Ebert, Director of the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Clinic at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, reviewed the subject of anxiety disorders among children.

Asst. Clinical Prof. Muhammad Mahajna, Director of the Child Development and Neurology Center at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, capped off the conference with a fascinating lecture titled, "Autism, is it an epidemic?" The community physicians present at the event said that they would be pleased to participate in future meetings dedicated to similar and other child development subjects.

From left to right: Assoc. Prof. Muhammad Mahajna, Director of the Child Development and Neurology Center; Prof. Meir Oren, Hospital Director; Deborah Sokol, widow of the late Dr. Jacob Sokol, founder of the Child Development Center, and his two daughters. Photographer: Zion Yehezkel.