Commentary: Pre–Primary Care Pediatrics

Abstract

The article “Evidence-Based Community Pediatrics: Building a Bridge From Bedside to Neighborhood”1 explains the importance of using scientific evidence as the foundation of community pediatrics interventions. This commitment to evidence-based community-level health activities by pediatricians is a natural next step in the evolution of pediatrics as we return full circle to the origins of the specialty. In the United States, child heath supervision had its beginnings in the milk stations and child health centers of large cities, to which infants were brought to be fed, weighed, examined, and immunized against contagious diseases. In 1967, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) established guidelines for child health supervision. However, there are indications that practitioners are not meeting the objectives of well-child care for many … Address correspondence to Robert Hoekelman, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642. E-mail: rhoekel1{at}rochester.rr.com