Lost in translation? Reflections on the role of research in improving health care for children.

While the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has grown to double its 1993 level, growing understanding of the chasm between the "health care we have and the health care we could have" has led to a stronger focus on the need to translate research into practice. Children's health care has much to gain from this new emphasis; however, the unique features of children's health, health services, and the history of funding for child health research are limiting our ability to make rapid progress.