THE Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Inc. (PSDBP) will hold its first convention at the Manila Hotel on September 25-26, 2001, with the theme Developmental Pediatrics: Setting Directions. Among the speakers of the convention is Dr. Forrest C. Bennet, Director of the Center for Human Development of the University of Washington.
The PSDBP was established in the year 2000 in answer to the growing needs of developmentally challenged children. It was founded by Dr. Perla D. SantosOcampo together with subspecialists in the field of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics. Through their efforts, the first post-residency fellowship training of Developmental Pediatrics was started at the Department of Pediatrics of the Philippine General Hospital more than a decade ago.
The focus of health care programs of developing countries like the Philippines is the high infant and child mortality rates caused mainly by respiratory disorders, diarrhea, malnutrition, and diseases of newborn infants. What we are not aware of is the growing number of developmentally challenged children.
The field of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics is a new subspecialty field practiced by a select group of pediatricians. This field views the child holistically and in the context of the family, community, and society. Some of the developmental disabilities handled by the developmental pediatrician are autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental retardation, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, development language and learning disorders, and sensory impairments.
In a multidisciplinary setup, the developmental pediatrician serves as the team leader. Other disciplines involved in the field are pediatric practitioners, child neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, special education professionals, and social workers involved in the field.
The specific aims of the PSDBP are to establish and maintain standards of expertise, support and encourage research, provide comprehensive and competent care for developmentally challenged children and their families, establish linkages and networking with groups engaged in the care of these children, advocate programs, policies, and legislation, and promote camaraderie and cooperation among caregivers in the field.
We congratulate the participants and organizers of the First Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Convention and wish them success.
