Related Experiment Videos
[Well-child care today: an evidence-based view]
1Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. bank@orion.ufrgs.br
Jornal De Pediatria
|September 25, 2003
Summary
Pediatricians should base child health promotion on evidence, not just experience. Key interventions like prenatal visits, screening, and immunizations are effective, but routine check-ups need rationalization for better well-child care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Health promotion is a core pediatric activity, yet often lacks robust scientific grounding.
- Pediatricians require evidence-based guidance for effective preventive interventions in child health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the scientific evidence supporting key preventive interventions in pediatric health promotion.
- To provide guidance on the optimal implementation of well-child care, including who, when, and how interventions should be delivered.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of Medline and Lilacs databases using terms related to well-child care, health supervision, and health promotion.
- Inclusion of non-systematic reviews of reference lists, internet searches for organizational recommendations, and classic articles in the field.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports prenatal visits, preventive guidance, metabolic screening, immunizations, and vision/hearing screening.
- Growth monitoring and development screening require rationalization; routine physical exams and lab tests are not always warranted.
- Pediatricians should collaborate with other professionals and community sectors, enhancing communication skills for effective preventive services.
Conclusions:
- Pediatricians' role in child and adolescent health promotion is crucial but should be evidence-based, moving beyond empirical practices.
- Numerous evidence-based resources are available to guide pediatricians in implementing effective well-child care interventions.