La importancia de la salud ambiental y el alcance de las unidades de pediatría ambiental

Resumen

In the last decades there have been an important decrease in infant morbidity and mortality, but these achievements are not equally distributed across the whole population. Children are one of the most susceptible groups due to their unique vulnerabilities to environmental factors because of their particular physiologic and metabolic characteristics. Unhealthy environments, intradomiciliary pollution, poor drainage, inadequate disposition of wastes, and many others, are significant environmental risk factors to children.

Currently, Chile is experiencing an advanced demographical transition, a situation that requires a precise approach to guarantee that the population has an adequate health status. It is important to take care of children, since their present health status will condition their health as adults.

A Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit is a structure specialized in pediatric conditions related to the environment. It consists of an interdisciplinary and highly specialized team. These centers provide assistance, information and treatment, promote research, educate health care providers or the public, and report problems to authorities.

Health authorities should emphasize the importance of having a safe environment for children and encourage efforts to reduce exposure to environmental hazards by promoting healthy behavior, education and awareness to all levels of society.