The Race for the Best for your Child: Globalization and its affect on Vaccines

Upcoming Philips AVENT Breastfeeding & Child Nutrition Conference to support mother's best choices. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) May 21, 2012 - Dubai, UAE: Misconceptions about infant vaccinations are commonplace, and information about the best practice for immunizing your child can be very confusing for parents. Experts at the 4th Philips AVENT Breastfeeding & Child Nutrition Conference will be tackling this issue head on, particularly in relation to globalization and the need for an informed decision on how to best protect your child from communicable diseases.

For the 4th year running, Philips AVENT, in corporation with Al Qadi Pharmacy & Est., will host a breastfeeding and early child nutrition forum for both mums, 'mums-to-be' and healthcare professionals in the UAE. The conferences will take place in both Abu Dhabi at the Beach Rotana Hotel on 28th May 2012 and in Dubai at its new venue at the Habtoor Grand Hotel on the 30th May 2012.

"The common misconceptions about infant vaccinations tend to relate to autism, neuromuscular disease and cognitive disorders," says Dr Wail A. Hayajneh, who is the Chairman and Associate Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, and a speaker at the Breastfeeding & Child Nutrition conference. "It is important for parents to have a choice when it comes to immunization for their child, but with guidance and awareness."

Globalization is likely to affect many aspects of public health, one of which is vaccine-preventable communicable diseases. The same applies for children born and reared in the UAE. According to Dr. Wail, some vaccines are traditionally meant for certain areas or certain groups. He says that while this is still valid, globalization has brought people closer to each other, and this has added pressure on pharmaceuticals to come up with solutions (vaccines) that meet the needs of all children. Globalization has also improved life expectancies and induced new needs which bring in the issue of adolescents and adults vaccination.

"For parents living in the UAE, when choosing the right vaccine for your child, factors such as age, geography, demographics, individual issues … all play roles here," adds Dr. Wail.

For Philips AVENT, their ultimate goal is improving infant and mother's health. This is why Philips AVENT continues to invest heavily in creating dialog between gynaecologists, midwives, breastfeeding advisors, nursing professionals, neonatologists and paediatricians in order to support mothers' best choices.

"The mission of the Breastfeeding & Child Nutrition Conference is to allow mum's to make an informed choice when it comes to infant or child nutrition so that they can give their children the best possible start in life," says Caroline Rainsford, marketing director of Philips Consumer Lifestyle, Middle East and Africa.

During the morning session, mums and 'mums-to-be' will be participating in breastfeeding and weaning educational classes. New for this year will be a 'Meet the Midwife' initiative where mums and 'mums-to-be' will be able to have one-on-one conversations with midwives about any concerns they may have with regards to breastfeeding or child nutrition.

The session for mums and 'mothers to be' will start at 8.30am with morning coffee and a complimentary refreshment break will be hosted by Philips AVENT mid-morning. There will also be a crèche and a private breast feeding area.

The afternoon session is aimed at Healthcare Professionals and will start at 1pm with coffee and refreshments followed by presentations on the latest research and developments in breastfeeding and nutrition from across the world.

Along with Dr. Wail, the afternoon session will be chaired by Dr Mohamad Miqdady who is the Director of Nutrition Services at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi. Topics to be discussed include the role of micro-nutrients, the role of globalization and vaccines, as well as a panel session where the audience can ask questions with regards to infant nutrition and local breastfeeding practices.

For more information about attending the 'free-of-charge' Philips AVENT Breastfeeding & Child Nutrition Conference please visit www.motherbaby.ae.

About Philips AVENT:
For more information about Philips AVENT, please visit www.avent.com.

About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of "sense and simplicity." Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs about 117,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 22.3 billion in 2010, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

For media enquiries please contact:
Inga Stevens
PR & Social Media Manager
Life Science Division
Informa Exhibitions
T: +971 4 407 2743
F: +971 4 336 4021
inga.stevens ( @ ) informa dot com

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