Purpose of review
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted healthcare and racial inequities. This article discusses recent literature documenting the impact of racism on early childhood development, disparities in access to developmental services and ways healthcare providers and health systems can promote physician well being during these difficult times.
Recent findings
Exposure to racism begins prenatally, and early childhood experiences with racism are intimately tied to adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Early intervention is key to treating children with developmental delay, but disparities exist in accessing eligibility screening and in the provision of services. Paediatric providers are at risk of developing secondary traumatic stress and burnout, which may affect the care that they provide.
Summary
New research has led to the development of resources that help paediatric providers address racism, access developmental resources in a novel manner and protect the paediatric workforce from trauma and burnout.
Pediatric healthcare providers should be aware of the unique challenges faced by youth displaced from their country of origin, who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender or are questioning their sexuality or sex identity, and who struggle with mental health disorders. Toolkits, other educational resources, and novel technological advances can assist pediatricians in ensuring optimal health care of these at-risk groups.
Purpose of reviewTo examine the five domains of social determinants of health – economic stability, education access, healthcare access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context – and how these relate to caregiver stress in under-resourced populations.Recent findingsSocioeconomic and family factors are increasingly understood as drivers of child health. Caregiver stress can impact family stability and child wellbeing. Immigrant parents, caregivers of children with medical complexity, and adolescent parents experience stressors due to the unique needs of their families. These groups of parents and caregivers also face various challenges identified as social determinants of health. Interventions to mitigate these challenges can promote resilience, care coordination, and community-based supports.SummaryCurrent research describes caregiver stress in key populations, how caregiver stress affects children, and approaches to minimize and mitigate these effects. Pediatric providers can implement best practices to support families who are navigating stress due to caregiving and social determinants of health.
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