[Systemic approach in pediatrics : contextualizing the complexity of interactions]

The patient, whether a child or adult, interacts with the surrounding systems (family, social, medical) and, through reciprocity (circularity), these systems impact the patient. A child's illness therefore disrupts family dynamics. Like any living organism, the family unit seeks a new balance (homeostasis) between its internal elements (parents, siblings) and external elements (school, work) and modifies for example the roles and tasks of each. Caregivers witness the stages of crisis, transition, and stabilization (life cycle) of families. Training in the systemic approach allows professionals to explore the interactions between the different systems related to the patient in order to identify resources, needs, and difficulties, and to co-construct solutions.