This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

A National Survey

Catherine Kelley, MD; M. Bruce Edmonson, MD, MPH; John M. Pascoe, MD, MPH

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1997;151(5):511-514.

Abstract
Objective
To determine how and what pediatric residency programs are teaching residents about normal newborn care in the nursery.

Design
A mailed survey distributed in 1994.

Participants
All 237 known pediatric residency programs in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Results
Survey response rate was 77% (184 of 237 questionnaires were returned and completed). In 40% of the programs, neonatologists were primarily responsible or coresponsible for teaching residents about management of normal newborns. A normal newborn nursery curriculum had been developed and implemented in 56% of the programs, 30% of programs were developing one, and 13% reported no curriculum. Specific instruction about breastfeeding was not offered in 16% of programs. Circumcisions were most commonly performed by obstetricians; anesthetic use was low (overall median use, 10%) but was more common (P<.002) when circumcisions were performed by pediatricians. The hospital environment and lack of faculty time were cited as the main barriers to teaching residents about normal newborn care.

Conclusions
Although general pediatricians spend a substantial amount of practice time on newborn care, neonatologists were responsible for this teaching in almost half of the pediatric residency programs. Many programs have not developed a curriculum. Instruction about breast-feeding was not universal. Most pediatric residents do not learn to perform circumcisions. General pediatricians should be more involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive newborn nursery curricula to improve training in this important aspect of general pediatric practice.

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1997;151:511-514

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Pediatrics, Center for Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Pediatric Training and Job Market Trends: Results From the American Academy of Pediatrics Third-Year Resident Survey, 1997-2002
Cull et al.
Pediatrics 2003;112:787-792.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Circumcision Practice Patterns in the United States
Stang and Snellman
Pediatrics 1998;101 :e5-e5.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT