The beginnings of pediatrics education in Chile and the foundation of children’s hospitals

Abstract

The objective of this manuscript is to review the historical background before the creation of the Chilean Society of Pediatrics (SOCHIPE) in 1922 and reflect on its impact on the professionalization of national pediatrics, especially on children’s health and survival. For this purpose, we review documents from the Charity Board, books, and specialized studies. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the country had one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and precarious facilities to deal with it. In those years, the only closed establishment for infant care was the House of Orphans, which was cared for by nuns with doctors’ support; they developed the first theoretical-practical courses of the specialty. Pressured by high infant mortality and deadly epidemics, the Charity board cared about the urgency of improving hygienic conditions and creating childcare facilities. The manuscript addresses the emergence of spaces responsible for safeguarding the health of children under five years of age since the creation of the chair of pediatrics and the first children’s hospital, the Roberto del Río Hospital, which set the beginning of the policies for children’s public health.