Child Neurology Practice Guidelines: Past, Present, and Future

BackgroundPractice guidelines have been developed in child neurology during the last fifteen years to address important clinical questions and provide evidence-based recommendations for patient care.MethodsThis review describes the guideline development process and how it has evolved to meet the needs of child neurologists.ResultsSeveral current child neurology guidelines are reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of guidelines, as well as the legal consequences of using them to determine a standard of care are discussed. The future of guidelines and of their influence on integrated support systems also is considered.ConclusionsChild neurology practice guidelines are a helpful resource for clinicians, families and institutions as they provide evidence-based recommendations concerning the diagnosis and management of common neurological conditions affecting children. Incorporating consensus processes has allowed expansion of clinically relevant recommendations that has increased the utility of guidelines.