Guiding parents through behavioral issues affecting their child's health: the primary care provider's role.

This short review was presented as part of the Morehouse School of Medicine Fifth Annual Primary Care Conference in October 2005. As child health morbidities and mortalities shift from infectious diseases, child healthcare providers must become more vigilant and aggressive at suspecting, screening for, and intervening in behavioral and developmental problems in early childhood. There is growing evidence about the link between early childhood developmental problems and severe dysfunctions in adulthood, including violence and crime. We must identify families that are at high risk of having behavioral and developmental problems. We must screen for developmental delays at health maintenance visits and use developmental surveillance on other office visits. We must also use the time in anticipatory guidance to help families to understand age-appropriate behaviors and how those behaviors can be modified. If appropriate, referrals must be made to Early Intervention, private therapists, or doctorate level professionals (developmental-behavioral pediatricians, child psychiatrists, or child psychologists).