New Approach to Pediatric Treatment Planning to Support Caregivers Living with Adversities

Pediatric practitioners are called upon to identify adverse childhood experiences and social determinants of health, given the growing evidence of the prevalence, lifelong risk, and potentially preventable impact of adversities. Caregivers serve as a strong mediator of how adversities affect children, with toxic stress resulting from the lack of a buffering caregiver in the context of prolonged stress activation. In the context of family centered care, pediatric practitioners who identify adversities or diagnose related health conditions, will need to be adept at modifying treatment plans to respect the caregiver's circumstances. Pediatric practitioners will need to consider how adversities affect the caregiver's well-being and capacity to provide protective, buffering relationships to prevent toxic stress, and access to recommended treatments. This article proposes a reconsideration of traditional treatment planning to be adversity-informed to provide family centered care.