OBJECTIVE: To review the literature about medical work, payment for medical labor, technological advances and its influence in Pediatrics. DATA SOURCES: Articles from 1990 to 2007 in English and Portuguese were retrieved in the Medline, Lilacs and SciELO databases using the following key-words:"well baby clinic","Pediatrics","physician working conditions","medical fees","labor market" and"technological development". DATA SYNTHESIS: Considering the technological advance in all areas of knowledge, especially in Medicine, and despite changes in work relationships, forms of payment, higher levels of specialization and improper working conditions, the role of pediatricians must be recovered. New technologies are beneficial for Medicine, physicians and patients; on the other hand, clinical care offered by pediatrician, is not properly valued. These facts discourage the Pediatrics practice, which has an undisputed relevance for Brazilian society. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary that pediatricians fight against their current situation, since they are submitted to improper personal and social conditions at work, forced to focus on quantity over quality, and becoming susceptible to medical errors
Pediatrics; fees, medical; job market; technological development