ABSTRACT
In the Netherlands, childhood morbidity presented to the general practitioner (GP) has changed: (infectious) skin problems have become more important. Acute otitis media was presented less often in general practice in 2001, and the GPs managed this health problem increasingly themselves. Children consult their general practitioner (GP) frequently and Dutch GPs deal with childhood morbidity in their surgery daily. The first Dutch National Survey of General Practice (DNSGP-1) provided detailed information of childhood health problems and GPs' management. Childhood morbidity patterns presented in Dutch general practice have changed considerably during the past decades. GPs' management of these health problems is compared with that in 1987 by comparing referral and antibiotic prescription rates. Incidence rates of health problems presented in general practice were calculated by dividing the number of new episodes by the number of children-years followed.
