Pediatrics

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. The age limit of such patients ranges from birth to 18. In countries where the age of majority is 18, this age limit may be from birth to age 17 (such as in Canada). A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician.

What is Pediatrics?

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine dealing with the health and medical care of infants, children, and adolescents from birth up to the age of 18. The word “paediatrics” means “healer of children”; they are derived from two Greek words: (pais = child) and (iatros = doctor or healer). Paediatrics is a relatively new medical specialty, developing only in the mid-19th century. Abraham Jacobi (1830–1919) is known as the father of paediatrics.

Pediatrics Training

Pediatric Skin Conditions

Subspecialties of Pediatrics

Pediatrician: Role, Education, Training, Subspecialties

Infections in Childhood

A Brief History of Pediatrics

Child and Adolescent Sports Injuries

Importance of Sensory Stimulation for Babies

Supporting Children with Mental Health Disorders

How Fast Food Affects Children's Health

Mental Health Disorders and Children

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Effects of Passive Smoking on Children's Health

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Scientists make breakthrough in understanding the causes of spina bifida

Scientists at Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, and the Department of Neurosciences and Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the causes of spina bifida, a serious birth defect affecting thousands of newborns each year.

1 Apr 2025

New approach speeds up personalized cancer treatment for young patients

A pan-Canadian team has developed a new way to quickly find personalized treatments for young cancer patients, by growing their tumors in chicken eggs and analyzing their proteins.

1 Apr 2025

Researchers receive $2.7 million NIH grant to develop the next generation of synthetic blood

Blood loss is the leading cause of death in trauma patients between the ages of 1 and 46 years, largely because they cannot access safe blood sources quickly enough. A possible solution? Freeze-dried synthetic blood.

31 Mar 2025

Embracing AI for more efficient and effective peer review in science

It is expected that in 2025, approximately three million articles will be indexed in Scopus and the Web of Science.

28 Mar 2025

Study points to single respiratory virus as cause of Kawasaki disease

Research from Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago strongly suggests that Kawasaki disease is caused by a single respiratory virus that is yet to be identified.

27 Mar 2025

Study develops fused neural organoids with leptomeninges

A new study in the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells and Development describes the development of a co-culture system of neural organoids generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) fused with fetal leptomeninges from mice with fluorescently labeled meninges, called leptomeningeal neural organoid (LMNO) fusions.

26 Mar 2025

Multi-modal imaging reveals complex brain alterations associated with autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a growing global concern, affecting approximately 2.8% of children in the United States and 0.7% in China. ASD is characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication difficulties, and repetitive behaviors, making early diagnosis critical for improving outcomes.

25 Mar 2025

Researchers unlock key process for regenerating intestinal cells after injury

Researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center have solved a cellular mystery that may lead to better therapies for colorectal and other types of cancer.

25 Mar 2025

Postpartum females show shift in temperature preferences due to brain changes

Mothers experience major metabolic adaptations during pregnancy and lactation to support the development and growth of the new life.

25 Mar 2025

Study shows artificial intelligence can improve intravenous nutrition for premature babies

Artificial intelligence can improve intravenous nutrition for premature babies, a Stanford Medicine study has shown.

25 Mar 2025

New study links metabolic defects to Dravet syndrome

New research from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is the first to identify defects related to metabolism (how the body processes and uses energy) in lymphoblast cell lines (LCLs) derived from blood samples of children with Dravet syndrome.

25 Mar 2025

New brain circuit involved in motion sickness could help improve metabolic health

Motion sickness is a very common condition that affects about 1 in 3 people, but the brain circuits involved are largely unknown. In the current study published in Nature Metabolism, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital describe a new brain circuit involved in motion sickness that also contributes to regulating body temperature and metabolic balance.

24 Mar 2025

Machine learning helps predict early mortality in IBD patients

Almost half of people who died with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) died prematurely, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241117 that used machine learning models to predict death.

24 Mar 2025

Study shows impact of foreign aid sanctions on maternal and child health

Reductions in official development assistance can lead to a significant increase in death among mothers, children, and infants, according to a new Stanford-led study that reviewed three decades of sanctions on foreign aid.

21 Mar 2025

High-fat diet impairs neutrophil function in obesity

A new study in The Journal of Immunology reveals how a high-fat diet may impair the immune system's ability to respond to infection by impacting the function of neutrophils, one of the first immune cells to respond to bacteria or viruses.

20 Mar 2025

Research shows decline in risky behaviors and rise in depression among adolescents

Between 1999-2021, U.S. adolescents steadily desisted from risky behaviors such as substance use and violence, and from reporting a combination of both risky behaviors and mental health symptoms.

19 Mar 2025

Coalition of experts reaffirms vaccines as essential for public health

In response to growing concerns over vaccine misinformation, declining public trust in science, and recent outbreaks of preventable diseases, a coalition of 34 scientific and medical organizations, led by the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) and the American College of Physicians (ACP), has issued a unified statement emphasizing the critical role of vaccinations in public health.

18 Mar 2025

New approach results in earlier autism diagnosis for children

Closer collaboration between child health services and specialist care has resulted in faster support for young children with autism.

18 Mar 2025

Study examines the mechanisms behind long-term consequences of childhood stress

Early-life adversity affects more than half of the world's children and is a significant risk factor for cognitive and mental health problems later in life.

17 Mar 2025

Surgery reduces health care visits in children with mild sleep-disordered breathing

Surgical removal of enlarged tonsils and adenoids in children with mild sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) appears to significantly reduce the frequency of medical office visits and prescription medicine use in this group, according to a clinical study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

17 Mar 2025