bereavement eHealth application Pediatric psycho-oncology Common research areas in pediatric psychology Neonatology, prematurity, and developmental issues Pediatric asthma Cystic fibrosis Diabetes mellitus Sickle-cell disease Pediatric oncology Traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury Central nervous system disorders (e.g., epilepsy, spina bifida) Juvenile idiopathic arthritis Cardiovascular disease Pediatric organ transplantation Abdominal pain-related gastrointestinal disorders (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease) Pediatric HIV/AIDS Pediatric burns Feeding and vomiting problems Childhood obesity Eating disorders Elimination disorders (e.g., enuresis, encopresis) Pediatric sleep Autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities Behavior problems in a pediatric context Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the pediatric context Child abuse Injuries and safety: Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of disability and death in children and teens from the age of 1 to 19 years. More children and adolescents die as a result of an unintentional injury than from all other childhood diseases combined. Health care providers have multiple opportunities to provide prevention materials and injury guidance. Simon et al. (2006) found that less frequent injury guidance results in more frequent medically linked injuries by 16 months of age. Research suggests that counseling increases parental safety behaviors and counseling tailored to risk behaviors of a particular family are most effective. Pediatric psychology has a significant role to play in formulating, implementing, and evaluating injury prevention efforts. Future research directions Positive, resilience factors, and quality of life: Pediatric psychologists are increasingly understanding and applying research on resilience factors and protective factors. Researchers have discovered that despite psychological risk factors associated with childhood chronic illnesses, the majority of children with chronic illnesses fare just as well as their peers or even better in some cases. Furthermore, the study of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is unique to the pediatric setting and encompasses domains of physical, psychological, and social functioning that are directly influenced by chronic illnesses. Researchers have found that pediatric cancer survivors typically report positive outcomes, while lower levels were reported in children and teens with diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and asthma, which may be due in part to the intensity and duration of the treatments. Researchers' current goal is to identify areas of functioning that are relatively untouched from the illness and treatment and to focus in on the domains of the HRQOL for which there is an increased risk so that prevention and intervention efforts can target the most valuable domains. See also Developmental psychology Pediatrics Community psychology References