PEDIATRICS Vol. 57 No. 5 May 1976, pp. 800-803
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Dealing With Unnecessary Medical Trauma To Children

Maarten S. Sibinga M.D.1 and William B. Carey M.D.2

1 Departments of Pediatrics, Temple University School of Medicine and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2 Departments of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A sampling of the prescribing behavior of physicians from several areas of clinical practice suggests that children may be subjected to a substantial amount of unnecessary medical trauma. While some procedures are clearly necessary and others possibly so, still others appear to be performed as the result of parental pressures, specialty traditions, and external stresses or internal weaknesses of the physician. Reduction of unnecessary trauma is proposed through continuing scrutiny of all procedures, improved physician training, restructuring the practice situation, and consumer education.