Nearly 6,000 pediatricians and medical professionals will gather at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Annual Meeting at the Lakeside Center at McCormick Place from Friday, 27 October through Wednesday, 01 November. The AAP is the national association of 55,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists and is widely perceived as the nation's foremost authority on children's health.

Featured speakers during the Annual Meeting include: keynote speaker Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, Director, National Human Genome Research Institute; Donald E. Cook, MD, FAAP, 1999-2000 AAP President; Steve Berman, MD, FAAP, 2000-2001 AAP President; Janet Reno (invited), US Attorney General; Lisa E. Gordon-Haegerty, Director of Weapons for Mass Destruction, National Security Council; and Paul Vallas, Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Public Schools.

Many press briefings, abstract presentations and sessions also will be held at the Annual Meeting. Here is a highlight of some of the activities occurring at the meeting:

Friday, Oct. 27

• 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.     Promoting Language Development in Pediatric Practice. This half-day seminar at the Standard Club, 327 S. Plymouth Ct., Chicago, includes a session on literacy promotion within pediatric office followed by breakout sessions.

Saturday, Oct. 28

• 8:00 am - 8:20 am      Gene Therapy: Promises and Challenges
• 8:20 am - 8:40 am      Stem Cell Research: Promises and Ethical Challenges in Pediatrics
• 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.      Teaching Health and Wellness at School
• 9:30 am - 11:30 am      Genetic Testing: Is it Ready for Prime Time?
• 9:30 am - 12:30 pm      The New Federal Administration and the New Congress: Prospects for Improving Child Health
• 9:30 am - 12:30 pm       Management of Common Sleep Problems: Simple Principles and Challenging Cases
• 11:30 am - 12:20 pm      Domestic Violence in Your Practice: Asking the Right Questions
• 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm      Media Effects on Child Health: Implications and Interventions
• 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm      Management of Common Behavioral Problems
• 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm      Identifying Child Abuse: Can you Meet the Challenge?

Sunday, Oct. 29

• 10:00 a.m.      The Use of Children's Drawings in Primary Care. Children's drawings can be used to screen for cognitive level and also can reveal a lot about a child's view of himself, his world, his experiences and his emotions.
• 1:00 p.m      Influence of Adult Food Fears and Fixations on Children's Health. Research has shown adult food fears and fixations can factor into a child's nutritional well-being.
• 2:00 p.m.      Peer Mentoring for Violence Prevention. A study of Chicago-area children who participated in a peer-mentoring program found they were less prone to-and less supportive of-violence.

Other Newsworthy Sunday Sessions:

• 9:30 am - 11:30 am      Should Big Brother Be Watching? The Ethics of Drug Testing
• 9:30 am - 11:30 am       Influence of Adult Food Fears and Fixations on Children's Health
• 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm       ADHD: Practical Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment

Monday, Oct. 30

• 10:00 a.m.      Keynote Address In a news briefing following the presidential and keynote addresses, Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, highlighted ways in which the Human Genome Project will transform the practice of medicine.
• 1:00 p.m.      Do Parents Understand Immunizations? A National Telephone Survey. A new survey of 1,600 parents to be published in the November issue of Pediatrics reveals that the majority of parents understand the clear benefits of childhood immunization, yet many still have misconceptions that may undermine their confidence in vaccines.
• 1:45 p.m.      Meet The Redbook Committee. Pediatricians addressed the recent delay in distributing the influenza vaccine and how current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will impact the nation's children and adolescents during the flu season.

Other Newsworthy Monday Sessions:

• 8:25 am - 9:00 am       Keynote Address
• 9:30 am - 12:30 pm       Meet the Red Book Committee
• 9:30 am - 12:30 pm       Peer Mentoring for Violence Prevention
• 11:00 am - 3:00 pm       Operation Paintfest: Creating Brighter Children's Hospitals
• 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm       Substance Abuse: You Ask, They Tell, What Next?
• 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm       The Use of Children's Drawings in Primary Care
• 3:30 pm - 4:20 pm       Alternative Therapies for Pain Management
• 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm       Danger on the Internet

Tuesday, Oct. 31

• 7:00 am - 8:30 am       Birthmarks: Which Ones to Worry About
• 8:20 am - 8:40 am       Influenza: The Next Pandemic
• 8:40 am - 9:00 am       Future of Immunizations: DNA Vaccine Technology
• 9:30 am - 12:30 pm       Vaccine Safety: Current Facts and Myths
• 9:30 am - 11:30 am       E-Coli Infection - A Public Health Epidemic
• 2:30 pm - 3:20 pm       Preventing Breastfeeding Tragedies
• 3:30 pm - 4:20 pm       Herbs and Breastfeeding: Is There a Problem With That?

Wednesday, Nov. 1

•       10:00 a.m. Pesticides, Pathogens and Pollutants: How Safe is the Food Children Eat? Despite efforts to regulate the safety of the US food supply, children are at risk from food-borne pathogens and other contaminants.
• 8:00 am - 9:00 am       Meet the Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention
• 9:30 am - 11:30 am       Street Children of the World
• 11:30 am - 12:20 am       Pesticides, Pathogens and Pollutants: How safe is the Food Children Eat?
• 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm       When Technology Isn't Enough: Caring for Children With Life Limiting Conditions
• 3:30 pm - 4:20 pm       Preparing Families and Communities for Disasters