The fast-paced world that children face today is both a more challenging and dangerous one than the world their parents knew. While the risk of many diseases is lower today than ever before, children health care needs are nevertheless complex because of their rapid growth and development during a period when their body systems are immature and, therefore, vulnerable.
It is important to remember that children are not just tiny adults; they are unique biological beings who may be affected quite differently than adults by germs, toxins, and medications. With new and more virulent infections that threaten worldwide pandemics, new risks of terrorism, more serious safety issues, and ever-evolving new vaccinations and medications, the child-care health scene is constantly changing.