Several studies in this Special Issue provide important new insights into the development and health outcomes for children and young people facing a variety of health challenges. McCullough and colleagues (2013)) longitudinally measured parent-reported quality of life in ambulant children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). Their main finding of decreased physical health and wellbeing compared to the general population is significant but not surprising. However, their finding of stability or improvement over time in most dimensions is new and suggests areas where further research and treatment should be focused. The study by Apers and colleagues (2013)) reveals that a sense of coherence is an important predictor of perceived health in adolescents with congenital heart disease. Their longitudinal study design and sophisticated modeling provide direction for future research and intervention studies to promote health in young people with chronic conditions. Tierney and colleagues (2013)) used Framework Analysis to provide new insight into the uncertainty and social ambiguity that young people with cystic fibrosis experience when transferring from pediatric to adult services. Their findings suggest ways in which nurses could facilitate role transition and reduce uncertainty and isolation these young people often experience. The study by Max (2013)) reports the findings of a large secondary analysis of national data to examine the association of postnatal exposure to second hand smoke and the development of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) in childhood. The strong independent association they found is a call to action to all pediatric health professionals to work with individual parents and social institutions to reduce this preventable public health hazard. Finally, the study by Wright and colleagues (2013)) provides an excellent example of how a nurse-led intervention that engages the family, school and community can have a positive impact on children's health. In this randomized trial that used a community-based participatory approach, low income minority school children in the health and fitness intervention group sustained behavior change and improvements in physical fitness at the 12-month follow-up. These are encouraging results, both in terms of the potential health benefits for children as well as the effectiveness of the research approach for investigating strategies to improve children's health.