Hoe gezond zijn de kinderen in Nederland?

An inventory of recent population surveys shows a high prevalence of common chronic health problems in children in the Netherlands. Is this reason for concern? A striking difference was found between prevalences reported by general practitioners (lower prevalences) and reported by children or parents: a difference for which there is no sound explanation. Is it true that 8-9% of young children and 14-20% of the older children experience limitations in their daily activities, which is largely unknown by their GP and by policy makers? Only study of the real burden of their disease and the prognosis of these common problems can give us insight in the health problems Dutch children experience and help us to intervene in these problems.

Conflict of interest: none declared. Financial support: none declared.