Psychoneuroimmunology and the pediatric surgeon.

The mind-body connection is receiving increasing scrutiny in a large number of clinical settings, although research has lagged in the pediatric specialties. Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a novel interdisciplinary scientific field that examines the relationship of the mind to the patient's neurologic, endocrine, and immune systems by examining critical parameters such as the effects of mental stress on wound healing and infection rates. Techniques that modify a patient's emotional and mental responses to illness and surgery have positive effects on their physiology resulting in improved recoveries and higher patient satisfaction rates. In the appropriate clinical settings, an awareness of PNI can enhance outcomes for pediatric surgical patients.