University of Delaware Office of Public Relations The Messenger Vol. 5, No. 1/1995 Pediatrician lightens up children's lives Pediatrician Sandra Gibson Hassink of Wilmington, Del., spends most of her waking hours making life better for kids. President of the Delaware chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Hassink, Delaware '74, is currently involved with two special projects-an obesity clinic for children and a program to provide support for foster families caring for children with AIDS or who are HIV-positive. Weight Management, an obesity clinic at the A.I. duPont Institute, a children's hospital in Wilmington, annually treats 1,200 children, from infants through adolescents, who come from as far away as Virginia. "There are not a lot of programs like ours in the country, and I'm not sure why. Childhood obesity is increasing, and that's alarming because it can lead to medical problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes," Hassink says. In fact, the number of overweight children has more than doubled in the past 30 years, particularly in the last decade, according to national federal statistics. "Some kids come to our program feeling really bad about their size. They face a lot of teasing, and they have a hard time in all areas of their lives. Obesity is a complicated problem that needs attention," Hassink says. Experts believe that the popularity of television, with the resulting drop in physical activity and the increased consumption of convenience foods, might be contributing to the rise of obesity in children, Hassink says. The isolation of the "ob" gene that makes mice obese and the more recent finding that leptin (the protein that the "ob" gene produces) makes mice thin, are "very important discoveries," she notes. "For the first time, we have the ability to look at the individual and the way that individual handles his or her weight. Up until now, we've been looking at obese people as a group. It's early yet, but this discovery has the capacity to give us tremendous information about how the body controls and maintains its weight," she says. Each person's obesity is unique, Hassink says, so the weight management professionals at the A.I. duPont Institute evaluate each child's medical condition, eating and exercise habits and any psychological problems, such as low self-esteem. They also treat the children and their families as a group and tailor solutions to meet each family's needs. "Society is hard on overweight people, even on people who are only mildly overweight. We need to address this problem because of the pressures these people face," Hassink says. The pediatrician also works to help alleviate some of the pressure felt by foster families caring for children with AIDS or who have been tested positive for HIV, by helping coordinate Home ImproVement Kids, which serves as a support network for these foster parents. "It's asking a lot of a family to care for a baby who is sick with full-blown AIDS or to take on a child with AIDS antibodies who is perfectly well at the time. It's hard because you don't know if the baby or child will be with you a long time or not," Hassink says. "Our ultimate goal for Home ImproVement Kids is to begin with foster families, then expand to provide support for all families taking care of AIDS-infected children. Your heart goes out to these children, and you want to make sure that-for whatever span of life they are going to have-they have what they need," Hassink says. Pediatric AIDS is on the rise, and foster families are needed to care for sick children as well as healthy children whose parents have AIDS, Hassink says. Currently, Home ImproVement Kids is trying to locate statewide resources for foster families, while surveying the pediatric AIDS population to match families in need with opportunities or services available. The project will provide families with such gifts as baby furniture and such services as transportation to medical appointments, outings for children or medical training for parents, Hassink says. The program began with a $10,000 grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics' Community Access to Child Health program and with support from Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories. Hassink, a 1978 graduate of Vanderbilt University Medical School in Nashville, Tenn., also participates in several American Academy of Pediatrics initiatives, including a state immunization tracking system, a prenatal advisory board and a lead-poisoning task force. Where do she and her husband, William, Delaware '73M, spend most of their spare time? You guessed it! Caring for their three children and driving them to their various and numerous activities. "We have no social life," she laughs, "but the children do!" -Marylee Sauder, Delaware '83