The practising paediatrician struggles to combat the effects of acute illness and disease in babies and older children. The pattem of hospital admissions has changed dramatically since I first qualified over 25 years ago. Neonatology is a relatively new branch of paediatrics and achievements in neonatal intensive care have been exciting and little short of astonishing. However, like the poor, children with chronic disabilities are always with us. Sadly, modern mainstream medical progressive thinkers regard as much less prestigious the work done in the field of 'handicap'. Thanks to...