In October, The FPIES
Foundation was honored to attend the Annual North American Society for
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) meeting.
A welcome reception by
Dr.Gold, Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Children's Center for Digestive
Healthcare in Atlanta and member of The FPIES Foundation Medical Advisory Board
(MAB), opened this three day event on a Thursday evening. The welcome was
immediately followed by the opening of the exhibit hall where providers
presented their posters and visited exhibits, such as The FPIES Foundation's booth!
We were encouraged to
meet a number of practitioners who are aware of FPIES; most knew of it because
they had/have a patient diagnosed with it. So many of the practitioners we
spoke with echoed our belief that more research is needed for this complex
allergic syndrome. These compassionate physicians and health professionals
shared their sincere gratitude for the resources and support that the
Foundation provides, empowering families and providers.
We were so happy to have Melissa and Heather, parents of children living
with FPIES, volunteer with us to help at the booth! Connecting with other
families is always such a special treat! We were also privileged to meet other
exhibitors such as the Tube Feeding Awareness Foundation, Nutricia North
America, Nestle Nutrition, Abbott Nutrition, Dr. Shar, Frida Baby, Real Food
Blends, QOL Medical, Apfed and many others. When touring the exhibition hall,
we were very pleased to see FPIES being represented at Abbott Nutrition's
Elecare display! 
Saturday's events
brought the NASPGHAN Council for Pediatric Nutrition Professionals (CPNP)
Nutrition Symposium and Annual Meeting. This included a session dedicated to
FPIES! Presented by Dr.Karen Freedle, Allergist at Children's Hospital of
Atlanta and Bailey Koch, Registered and Licensed Dietitian at The Children's
Center for Digestive Healthcare in Atlanta, this popular session was attended
by Dietitians eager to learn more about FPIES and how to help families with
their children's nutritional needs.
We were so honored to
have been a part of this conference-- building FPIES awareness, sharing
Foundation resources, and empowering these multidisciplinary medical
professionals that care for children living with FPIES. We hope to continue
spreading awareness and resources in future conferences in the coming years!
This post was written by the Executive Board of The FPIES Foundation
