Children with special health care needs

According to an article by McPherson in Pediatrics, children with special health care needs (CSHCN) are defined as “those who have or are at an increased risk for a chronic physical,developmental, or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally”.The conditions can be either acquired or congenital. These children are a diverse group of patients who frequently need out-of-hospital emergency assessment and treatment. This high-user group includes but is not limited to children who were born prematurely; have suffered closed head injury and have central nervous system (CNS) injuries; or have chronic problems of the lungs, brain, or kidneys. Examples of acquired conditions include cerebral palsy or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Examples of congenital problems are cyanotic heart disease or spina bifida.