Kochi: A unique Kids Integrated Neuro Developmental Center – Aster KIND inaugurated at Aster Medcity on 21 August 2016. The Aster KIND center provided comprehensive and holistic integrated care to children with neuro-developmental, neurological, behavioral, emotional and genetic problems including developmental delays, ADHD and autism learning disorders.
The event presided over Dr. Harish Pillai, CEO of Aster Medcity, and the invited Dr. S S Kamath, President IAP 2015, Dr. Samir Dalwai, Chairperson, IAP Chapter - Neuro Developmental Paediatrics, Dr. Shimmy Paulos, Secretary IAP Kerala State, and Dr. Shivaprasad, Secretary, IAP Kochi.
Dr. Harish Pillai, CEO of Aster Medcity said, ‘Differently-abled children need comprehensive and individualised care, which assured only by a clinician with in-depth scientific and practical knowledge. At Aster KIND special focused for high risk infants who are discharged from the NICU. Scientific therapies like developmental therapy, early stimulation to prevent or improve developmental delay in children.’
Dr. Beena Koshy Head, Dept. Of Developmental Paediatrics, Christian Medical College, Vellore released the ‘Aster KIND Parent Information Booklet’ distributed to parents who attended the inauguration programme.
To educate the parents regarding this issue a separate “Early Stimulation Awareness Programme’ conducted for the parents. Giving the child a variety of opportunities to experience, explore the world around him or her and play with things around, early stimulation provides responsive, nurturing and stimulating experiences to help establish the wiring of the brain connections or synapses. Early stimulation had a positive effect on the child’s development, and essential for appropriate development of the child in the early months, when the child’s social competence, cognitive skills, emotional well being, language, literacy skills and physical abilities are established. While all babies need early stimulation, compulsory for high risk babies like preterm babies or low-birth weight babies.
The Early Stimulation Awareness Program included demonstrations of early stimulation techniques by a qualified paediatric occupational therapist, followed by interactive discussions with Ms. Ameera, an Occupational therapist specially trained to treat children. Parents were also given an information sheet with information about Early Stimulation Techniques.
On the occasion, a special CME on Kids Neuro Developmental problems – ‘Kindling the Synapse’ also organized jointly with the IAP Chapter of Neuro Developmental Paediatrics, IAP Kochi Branch. The CME attended by many doctors and allied medical professionals like physiotherapists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists from Kochi and nearby places. The conference brought together an eminent panel of speakers who spoke on the common neuro-developmental problems of children and gave the delegates a great opportunity to update themselves on the latest in Neuro-Developmental Paediatrics bridging the gap between knowledge and practice.
The whole event organised by a team from Aster Medcity lead by Dr. Jeeson Cheeran Unni, Associate Senior Consultant, Paediatrics at Aster Medcity and included Dr. Akbar Mohammed Chettali, Paediatric Neurologist and Dr. Sudhakar Karunakaran, Developmental Paediatrician.
