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

UC Davis surgeon pioneers dual chamber leadless pacemaker in 13-year-old patient

UC Davis Director of Pediatric Electrophysiology Dan Cortez has set another world record: He is the first to implant a dual chamber leadless pacemaker in a child.

20 Dec 2024

Study reveals brain circuits and chemical messengers behind the regulation of meal initiation

When you are feeling hungry, the brain takes the necessary steps toward consuming a meal. Many of these steps are not well known, but a new study published in the journal Metabolism by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston reveals brain circuits and chemical messengers that contribute to the regulation of meal initiation and food intake.

20 Dec 2024

Using impulse oscillometry for lung function testing in preterm children

Infants born preterm remain vulnerable to numerous health complications, such as respiratory distress syndrome, chronic lung disease, and pulmonary dysfunction.

19 Dec 2024

Study highlights children's misunderstandings of medical terminology

Published in Pediatrics, a new University of Minnesota Medical School study highlights how children interpret common medical phrases, revealing surprising -; and sometimes alarming -; misunderstandings.

19 Dec 2024

New approach in fighting leukemia with double-modified natural killer cells

Various forms of blood cancer exist – all of which are grouped together under the term leukemia. One common form of leukemia is acute myeloid leukemia (AML), characterized by a degradation of early blood cell precursors, i.e. stem cells and the precursor cells that develop from them.

18 Dec 2024

Study reveals impact of negative language in handoffs on patient care

When doctors and nurses pass patient information from one shift to another -; an exchange known as a "handoff" -; the specific words they use behind closed doors matter more than they might realize.

17 Dec 2024

Study reveals underuse of antivirals for children hospitalized with influenza

Despite national medical guidelines supporting the use of antiviral medications in young children diagnosed with influenza, a recent study reports an underuse of the treatment.

17 Dec 2024

Disrupting the circadian rhythm of glioblastoma slows tumor growth, study says

Virtually every cell in the human body has an internal clock. These clocks take their cues from a central clock in the brain. In a normal, biological process called synchrony, the central clock coordinates daily rhythms around the body, so that every cell and tissue recognizes the same external time of day.

13 Dec 2024

Gut-targeted antidepressants: A novel approach to battling depression and anxiety

Most of us have experienced the effects of moods and emotions on our gastrointestinal tract, from "butterflies" in the stomach caused by nervousness to a loss of appetite when we're feeling blue.

11 Dec 2024

Early smoking causes structural and functional heart damage

Cigarette smoking from childhood into early adulthood is associated with an increased risk of premature cardiac injury, according to a study published today in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

11 Dec 2024

First-in-class monoclonal antibody shows promise for rare, aggressive hyperinflammatory condition

Adult patients with newly diagnosed malignancy-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (mHLH) – a rare, aggressive hyperinflammatory condition – who were treated with the first-in-class monoclonal antibody, ELA026, experienced a 100% response rate and an improved survival rate at two months, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

9 Dec 2024

CHOP study shows safety of rotavirus vaccine in neonatal intensive care unit

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that transmission of rotavirus vaccine strains in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is rare and without clinical consequences, strongly suggesting that giving the rotavirus vaccine to eligible infants during their hospitalization provides immune benefits that outweigh any risks.

9 Dec 2024

Breakthrough treatment improves survival rates for children with B-ALL

Just days before his fourth birthday, Santiago was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), the most common cancer in children.

9 Dec 2024

Mapping blood system changes offers new hope for leukemia treatments

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and their colleagues have developed the first comprehensive map of the dramatic changes that take place in the blood system over the course of the human lifetime.

6 Dec 2024

Childhood diabetes rates surge globally

Researchers investigate global trends in childhood diabetes rates and different factors that contribute to its incidence.

4 Dec 2024

Tumor secreted DNA triggers immune response against liver metastasis Special...

Specially packaged DNA secreted by tumor cells can trigger an immune response that inhibits the metastatic spread of the tumor to the liver, according to a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Korea's Yonsei University.

4 Dec 2024

University of Arizona receives $1.7 million for spina bifida research

Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson received $1.7 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve knowledge regarding the prevalence, mortality and health outcomes for people of all ages living with spina bifida.

2 Dec 2024

Boosting endocannabinoids could reduce opioid addiction risk

Increasing the levels of chemicals naturally produced in the body called endocannabinoids may thwart the highly addictive nature of opioids such as morphine and oxycodone while maintaining the drugs' ability to relieve pain, according to Weill Cornell Medicine investigators working with researchers from The Center for Youth Mental Health at NewYork-Presbyterian.

2 Dec 2024

A roadmap for understanding antimalarial drug resistance

Researchers at University of California San Diego analyzed the genomes of hundreds of malaria parasites to determine which genetic variants are most likely to confer drug resistance.

28 Nov 2024

Preschool services key to bridging language gaps for allophone kids

Learning French while also developing language skills in one's mother tongue is no easy task. As a result, allophone children often face learning and communication difficulties in kindergarten, which can negatively impact their educational journey.

28 Nov 2024