Geographical Pediatrics

Summary The comparison between pediatrics in East and West and in neighbouring countries is called geographical pediatrics, iqaccordance with the term Geographical Pathology. Difference in place is actually rather a difference in time. Inevitably the study of child life in the tropics is still based on Western principles. Medical thinking based on Western as well as on Eastern experience would be niore fruitful. Study of the present child drama in the tropics leads to a historical parallel with the West. Although the present condition of child life in Western countries is far from optimal, it seems to be an almost utopian situation compared with child suffering in the East Planned application of socio—medical knowledge may raise the state of health of the child in the tropics in the not too distant future. Only when child health in the tropics has reached the Western level will comparative pediatrics really be geographical.