Promoting early childhood development in the pediatric medical home

Abstract

The pediatric profession has been challenged to rethink the schedule, content, and structure of well-child care. There is a growing recognition of the need to include a focus on promoting healthy social and emotional development in the context of the parent-child relationship to minimize exposure to toxic stress and reduce the later burden of adult disease. Multiple opportunities exist for expanding the range of services delivered in the pediatric medical home and for strengthening community connections to advance the goal of supporting families to promote early childhood development. A range of opportunities for transforming the pediatric role in promoting early childhood development are discussed.