Homeless children--a challenge for pediatricians.

The health status of homeless children has become of major concern as the numbers of homeless families and children has dramatically increased in the United States over the past decade. There is some evidence to suggest that the health problems of homeless children are of greater frequency and of greater severity than those of poor children with homes. It is imperative that pediatricians begin to play a major role in handling this problem before the health status of this disenfranchized group of children is jeopardized even further.