Record Year for Acanthosis

Specialties School

Published

Sad but true...Texas state law requires us to screen 7th, 5th, 3rd, and 1st graders for Acanthosis Nigricans. We used to only screen 7th graders, then it went to 5th, then 3rd, and a few years ago 1st grade was added. The numbers go up every year in spite of the state screening mandate and in spite of all the nutrition/exercise information that abounds.

I have yet to run into an ex-student around town that I identified, and referred, with Acanthosis as a youngster that doesn't look like an older/larger version of the kid I remember...but with greater and more marked Acanthosis.

I just have to say, I am not a school nurse, but I love to read the postings from the school nurses because I learn so much.

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Specializes in Acute Care, CM, School Nursing.

Wow! I had honestly never heard of this before...

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Wow! I had honestly never heard of this before...

Spread the word!!!

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

I just found one KINDER with the telltale mark.

It's worse with the first and third grades. Those kids know they are overweight and they hate stepping on the scale. As do I.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I just found one KINDER with the telltale mark.

It's worse with the first and third grades. Those kids know they are overweight and they hate stepping on the scale. As do I.

I've already seen a couple PK kids with marked acanthosis...morbidly obese. One of them is a sibling of one of the 1st graders with acanthosis...morbidly obese.

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