This issue will assist the practicing pediatrician with providing evidence-based care to children with common, rare, inherited and acquired hematological disorders whom they regularly see in general pediatric practice. The information in this edition will support a general pediatrician's understanding of recently developed diagnostic and therapeutic tools--for instance, techniques for the assessment of transfusional iron overload in chronically transfused patients - resulting in better surveillance of medication side effects and improved support for patients who are prescribed with complex chelation regimens. New, improved therapeutic approaches to treatment of children with venous thromboembolic disease have recently been introduced; affected patients often require close monitoring in their communities through the general pediatrician whose practice will be enhanced by information that has been prepared by pediatric specialists with pediatric patients in mind.