ABSTRACT
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 25% of the U.S. resident population consists of children less than 18 years of age (Yax, 2004). Unfortunately, a corresponding quarter of U.S. resources devoted to research do not go to furthering an understanding of this segment of the population. A much-used cliche in pediatrics is that children are not simply little adults. Children have many distinctive charac teristics that require specific consideration separate from adult patients. Just as an appreciation and understanding of the unique characteristics of children is critical to providing safe medical care, so is the same understanding necessary when consid ering application of human factors and ergonomic principles to this population.
