Pediatrics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pediatrics, including details on child development, perinatal medicine, child health care.

Resident training in developmental/behavioral pediatrics: where do we stand?

Boreman CD, Thomasgard MC, Fernandez SA, Coury DL

Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Approximately 25% to 30% of all complaints to a general pediatrician are developmental or behavioral in origin. Despite this, residency education in developmental/behavioral pediatrics has consistently been rated poorly. Changes were set forth in 1997 to include a mandatory 1-month block rotation in developmental/behavioral pediatrics. This study was a nationwide, cross-sectional, self-administered, mailed survey of pediatricians who completed residency either before or after these changes went into effect. Overall, pediatricians' comfort level in developmental/behavioral pediatrics was unchanged in the 2 groups. Certain areas (behavior problems, learning disabilities, sleep, and depression/anxiety) of developmental/behavioral pediatrics had lower comfort scores. Our data provide direction for the ongoing refinement of pediatric education that is based on feedback from currently practicing pediatricians.

Published 27 February 2007 in Clin Pediatr (Phila), 46(2): 135-45.
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