News

The decade is closing and as we take well-earned holidays in Canada, it is timely to reflect on the state of child nutrition at home and globally, to learn from progress in key areas, and to look to 2020 and beyond for milestones on promising pathways to impact.

Two recent studies from the University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children are adding to mounting evidence that Canadians would benefit from more screening for iron deficiency in early childhood. One study details the known association between iron levels and cognitive function, and identifies a new threshold in blood tests that could guide more effective clinical intervention. The other is the first health-economic analysis of potential screening programs for iron deficiency in Canada, which shows that both targeted and universal screening would be cost-effective.

Researchers from the Joannah & Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition shared their knowledge with University of Toronto alumni and friends last week at a community event in North Toronto.

The University of Toronto and St. Michael’s Hospital hosted the 2019 Food as Medicine Update: Hot Topics in Nutrition Through the Lifespan in November. This annual full-day symposium for health-care professionals addressed emerging issues in food and nutrition science that impact chronic disease prevention.