New Guidelines Emphasize Partnership Between Pediatricians and Parents

Newswise — From healthy nutrition to behavioral concerns, children benefit most when their parents and pediatricians work together. Health professionals know about child health care and growth development, but parents have the day-to- day experience that makes them experts on their children. The third edition of the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) "Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children and Adolescents," provides both child health professionals and families with the tools they need to ensure optimal health care for children.

In the Bright Futures approach to preventive care, families are partners with their health care providers. Between AAP recommendations, parental concerns and community health needs, there are so many topics to address and screenings to conduct at well-child visits that child health professionals may feel torn about what to do in such a limited amount of time. These guidelines will help pediatric practices get organized to deliver the services that need to be delivered which will, in turn, free up time for things that are individual and unique to developing relationships with families.

Bright Futures provides child health professionals with priorities that need to be addressed for each of the 31 age-based health supervision visits from birth to age 21. There will also be a pocket guide available in the next few weeks that families can use to prepare for visits and learn about how to protect children and adolescents from disease, injuries etc. Corresponding tip sheets will be provided for families for each visit as well. These tips sheets will be available in the first quarter of 2008.

The following 10 themes were identified as the most recurrent topics throughout the stages of child development and, therefore, the most critical issues to promote at well-child visits: family support, child development, mental health, healthy weight, healthy nutrition, physical activity, oral health, healthy sexual development and sexuality, safety and injury prevention, and community relationships and resources. In addition, information about care for children with special health care needs, cultural competence, and complementary and alternative care is also incorporated.

More than 50 experts in pediatrics, family medicine, public health, dentistry and mental health contributed to the revised edition, and more than 1,000 experts reviewed the guidelines. Bright Futures is a project of the AAP funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). For more information, visit http://brightfutures.aap.org/web/