[Quantitative and qualitative stock-taking of scientific research in pediatrics in The Netherlands (1986-1990)]

All Dutch academic and non-academic pediatric training centres were requested to give a survey of all scientific publications produced from 1986 to 1990. The initiative came from the board of the Dutch Pediatric Association. During the observation period (1986-1990) the number of international publications with an external reference system was twice when compared with 1981-1985. The quality of the publications was similar. In at least four of the participating academic pediatric hospitals most publications came from the subspecialty area of metabolic diseases, oncology/hematology, immunology/infectious diseases, and cardiology, both during the first and the second observation period. From 1986 to 1990 the total number of theses in which a pediatrician was the main promoter or promoter in charge came to 84.