If things were simple, word would have gotten around. - Can complexity theory help us improve pediatric research?

Complexity theory is a discipline which explores how complex systems behave and how we interact with them. Though it is widely implemented outside medicine, particularly in the sciences involving human behavior, but also in the natural sciences such as physics and biology, there are only a few applications within medical research. We propose that complexity theory can provide new and helpful perspectives on complex pediatric medical problems. It can help us better understand complex systems and develop ways to cope with their inherent unpredictabilities. In this article, we provide a brief introduction of complexity theory, explore why many medical problems can be considered ‘complex’, and discuss how we can apply this perspective to pediatric research.