Paediatric environmental health speciality units in Europe: integrating a missing element into medical care.
Paediatricians are in an excellent position to identify children with environmental risk, to advise their parents about the best way of reducing or preventing such risks, and to recommend actions to the responsible politicians involved. Paediatric environmental health speciality units (PEHSU) can help to qualify and support paediatricians in this task. PEHSU is defined as a unit within a paediatric hospital or clinic that is able to recognize, assess, and prevent environment-related health risks, to help other paediatric specialists in the management of such diseases in children, as well as to provide education, training, and research, putting emphasis on thorough and adequate establishment of paediatric environmental histories (PEHis) and to the application of the precautionary principle. Although activities and services provided by each PEHSU would differ depending on the centre or community where it is located, all should include training, research, medical care and community and school health.
Ortega García
Juan Antonio
JA
Paediatric Environmental Health Speciality Unit, University Hospital Virgen of Arrixaca, CP 30120, Murcia, Spain. ortega@pehsu.org
Ferrís i Tortajada
Josep
J
López Andreu
Juan Alonso
JA
D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004782:Environmental Health / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019550:Environmental Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005060:Europe; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000458:organization & administration*