Epilepsy in Children on Focus at the Arab Paediatric Congress Workshops

The event, supported by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, also includes three conferences dedicated to neonatology, child nutrition and rare diseases

Dubai, UAE; February 20, 2017:  With the support of the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, the 4th Annual Arab Paediatric Medical Congress, taking place from 2-4 of March, presents a series of workshops dedicated to pressing health problems affecting children. Besides the three conferences focused on neonatology, child nutrition and rare diseases, the event also counts with practical sessions on topics such as epilepsy in children. The workshop on Managing Epilepsy in Children will be hosted by Dr. Abdalla Ali Abdalla, a paediatric neurology specialist from Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital. According to the expert “epilepsy and neurological seizures in general are quite common in children. About one in a 100 children experiences at least one seizure in his/her life time. Many seizures occur in an otherwise normal child and there are many misconceptions among the public about its actual causes. There are different paediatric epilepsy syndromes, some of them are actually considered benign and have good long term outcome.” He adds that “in our workshop we will highlight some of the most common types of epilepsy in children, we will classify them based on age of onset, how to investigate and treat them and the long term outcome.”

Another interactive session will be dedicated to special needs. Dr. Huda Sadeq, consultant in paediatrics neurodevelopment at Al Mafraq Hospital, UAE, will lead the workshop on learning disabilities in children “caused by disorders of the central nervous system which interfere with the use of speaking skills, reading, writing, hearing, thinking or mathematical skills”. Approximately 7-10% of school-age children suffer from a learning disability being reading the most common one. The specialist explains that "signs to specific learning disabilities can often be identified as deficits in early development. Once they are identified they can be managed in a proper way. This workshop will prepare paediatricians to effectively respond to parents who share their concerns about their child’s school failure, and want assistance in procuring education services for their child. The session aims to provide knowledge and support to understand these disorders and help specialists to better assess children’s conditions enabling them to intervene early and efficiently.” The Arab Paediatric Medical Congress, organized by Maarefah Management, aims to support the efforts of the region’s stakeholders on the treatment and care of children by bringing together around 50 regional and international speakers. The event counts with the support of renowned institutions such as, the College of Natural and Health Sciences – Zayed University, the Saudi Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, the Bahrain Medical Society, and sponsorship of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh in the United States, Pigeon Middle East and Olayan Kimberly-Clark. The three-day event will be held at Conrad Hotel Dubai.