1 University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh
We as pediatricians are taught to give careful instructions to parents at the time of a child's discharge from the hospital. These instructions include necessary information about drugs, resumption of the child's activities, and return visits. What is rarely discussed is the possibility that the child may resort to maladaptive behavior as a result of his hospitalization and what the parents should do about it. Before a child goes home from the hospital, parents should be alerted to the fact that difficult behavior patterns often are seen after a child's hospitalization for a serious illness. At the same time, they should be reassured that their child has recovered and does not require special protective treatment.