Pediatrics

Every parent in this world wants to see their child experience healthy and perfect growth and development. However, sometimes certain conditions can appear and interfere with the child’s growth and development. Children and adolescents require different medical treatment from adults, so special doctors are needed to treat the disease or condition they are experiencing.

Pediatricians are doctors who receive special training to handle the physical, behavioral, and mental care of children from birth to the age of 18 years. This doctor is able to diagnose and treat various kinds of children’s diseases, ranging from minor health problems to serious illnesses.

Getting to know Pediatricians

Please note, there is a slight difference between a pediatrician and a pediatrician. Pediatricians help maintain the health of children by checking their growth and development regularly. These doctors help prevent disease by providing vaccinations and general health advice. When children are sick, pediatricians treat a wide variety of common illnesses and injuries.

To become a pediatrician, a doctor must have graduated from medical school and completed a three-year residency program in pediatrics. Pediatricians are primary care physicians, which means they are the first healthcare professionals to be seen for general medical care and health visits. Meanwhile, pediatricians specialize in being able to treat more specific diseases in children.

The following are some of the common medical treatments given by pediatricians:

• Do a physical examination.
• Provide immunizations.
• Treating injuries, including fractures and dislocations.
• Evaluate a child’s physical, emotional, and social development.
• Prescribing medicines that are safe for children.
• Provide general health advice.
• Diagnose and treat a variety of medical conditions.
• Refer the family to other pediatric specialists, if needed.

Meanwhile, pediatricians have received additional education and training in specific diagnostic treatments and procedures. For example, pediatric cardiologists have advanced knowledge and experience in treating heart conditions in children. They may also have received training to perform various types of heart tests and procedures.

Diseases that Pediatricians Can Treat

There are many different types of pediatricians, each of whom specializes in treating certain medical conditions in children. Here are the different types of pediatricians and the diseases they can treat:

• Pediatric allergy and immunology specialist, treats food and environmental allergies in children, as well as problems with the immune system
• Pediatric oncologist, specializing in diagnosing and treating various types of pediatric cancer.
• Pediatric cardiologists diagnose and treat a variety of heart conditions in children.
• Pediatric pulmonologists diagnose, treat and treat children with respiratory problems and lung diseases.
• Pediatric rheumatologists treat children and adolescents with musculoskeletal disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain.
• Pediatric nephrologists in the treatment of symptoms it affects of the urinary system, including urinary tract infections and kidney disease.
• Pediatric neurologists treat and treat nerve disorders in children.
• Neonatal-perinatal pediatricians provide care to babies before, during, and after birth.
• Pediatric gastroenterologist takes care of the digestive system of young people.
• Pediatric endocrinologists specialize in the endocrine system and the hormones it produces. These specialists can treat a variety of conditions in children, including diabetes.

Pediatrics is a medical specialty that deals with the development and care of children, as well as diagnosing and treating diseases of childhood. Doctors who specialize in pediatrics are also called pediatricians.

Please note that the medical needs of children are different from those of adults. That is why if the child is sick, the mother is recommended to take him to a pediatrician. Check out some interesting facts about pediatrics here.

Read Now: Diseases Treated by Pediatricians

1. Origins of Pediatrics

Pediatrics is a branch of medicine that deals with the health and medical care of children from birth to the age of 18. The word ‘pediatrics’ comes from the Greek, namely pais which means child, and iatros which means doctor or healer. Pediatrics is a medical specialty that only emerged in the mid-19th century; Abraham Jacobi (1830-1919) is considered the father of pediatrics.

2. Role of Pediatrician

Pediatricians are doctors who not only provide medical care for children with acute or chronic illnesses, but also provide preventive health services for healthy children. Pediatricians protect children’s physical, mental and emotional well-being at all stages of development, regardless of illness or health.

3. The Purpose of Pediatrics

The goals of pediatrics are to reduce infant and child mortality, control the spread of infectious diseases, promote healthy lifestyles and help alleviate the condition of children and adolescents who have chronic health problems.

• Pediatricians diagnose and treat the following conditions in children:
• Injury.
• Infection.
• Genetic and inherited conditions.
• Cancer.
• Organ disease and dysfunction.

The focus of pediatrics is not only on the immediate treatment of sick children, but also on the long-term effects on quality of life, disability, and survival. Pediatricians are also involved in the prevention, early detection and management of health problems which include:

• Developmental delays and disorders.
• Behavioral problems.
• Functional disability.
• Social pressure.
• Mental disorders, including depression and anxiety disorders.

4. Cooperate with Other Specialists

Pediatrics is a collaborative specialty, which means pediatricians need to work closely with other medical specialists and health care professionals, as well as pediatrics subspecialties to help treat children who have problems.

5. Pediatrics is different from treatment for adults

There is more than one difference between pediatric and adult medicine. Infants and children need to be understood more carefully because of their smaller body postures which are physiologically different substantially from the adult body. So, taking care of children is not like taking care of mini versions of adults.

Birth defects, genetic variation, and developmental problems are more important to pediatricians than to doctors treating adults. In addition, there are some legal issues in the field of pediatrics.

Responding to problems regarding medical decision-making for minors needs to be considered more deeply by every pediatrician. This is simply because minors have not been able to make decisions on their own, as a result, issues of guardianship, privacy, legal responsibility and consent must be accompanied

6. Training to Become a Pediatrician

A pediatrician must first complete his studies at the medical school as a general practitioner. Then, he can become a general pediatrician by continuing his studies in the Specialist Medical Education Program in the field of pediatrics.

During this educational program, pediatricians are trained to treat infants, children, adolescents and young adults. Pediatricians can then also explore various more specific sciences or subspecialties.

7. Subspecialty in Pediatrics

Several subspecialties in pediatrics, including:

• Pediatric Cardiology, focuses on the treatment of the pediatric heart.
• Critical care treatment.
• Endocrinology treats hormonal and glandular-related disorders in children.
• Gastroenterology, dealing with various kinds of complaints related to the digestive tract.
• Hematology, dealing with blood disorders.
• Neonatal or newborn medication.
• Nephrology focuses on treating children’s kidney problems.

What is Pediatric Consultation?

Pediatrician consultation or pediatrician consultation is a general medical process that involves the assessment and diagnosis of conditions affecting children and, to some extent, adolescents, as well as the management of overall health and patient health through certain preventive measures.

Pediatrics is a branch of medicine that addresses the medical needs of children. Doctors who specialize in this are called pediatricians. Pediatricians have spent years of education and training in this area. You start with four years of undergraduate research and another four years of medical research. Then complete the next three-year internship program at an accredited hospital. After that, they take an exam to get certified.

Pediatricians also have subspecialties, including oncology, cardiology, nephrology, neurology, and even psychology, but are not limited to the fields mentioned above. Subspecialties require further education.

However, children are different patients than adults and require intensive training. Due to their different physiology, the medical needs and conditions that usually affect children may not be apparent in adults. For example, birth defects are more common in pediatricians than in internal medicine.

Furthermore, as children enter a critical stage, pediatricians must closely monitor the growth and development of their patients, which means strict regular visits.

The psychology of children is also different from that of adults. Children often do not have a deep understanding of pain and illness. Also, many adults do not know how to express their symptoms. In addition to being less expressive, maybe a lack of understanding is also an indicator of the cause. Therefore, there is a need for pediatricians who clearly have good medical knowledge and expertise, as well as the skills to build good relationships with their children and their parents.

Lastly, minors, in the legal sense, do not have the capacity to make their own decisions and thus pediatricians must also work closely with their parents and caregivers.

Read also other our articles at Pediaclic

Who Should Undergo Pediatric Consultation & Expected Results

Pediatric consultations are aimed at children aged 0-12 years, although now many doctors also treat teenagers and adults up to the age of 20. After that age, they usually seek out an internist or internal medicine doctor, who specializes in adult medicine, although some retain their family physician.

Pediatric consultation can be done to:

• Immunization.
• Treatment of congenital defects.
• Disease prevention.
• Substance abuse services.
• Specialized gynecological services.
• Psychiatric and behavioral therapy.

Common cases such as colds and flu can be cured with just one or two visits to the pediatrician. However, when it comes to the child’s overall health, parents are obliged to visit the doctor regularly, even if there are no symptoms.

How Pediatric Consultation Works

If you understand more closely, you need to know that a child’s relationship with a pediatrician begins when the child is born. Thus, Parents are expected to have one pediatrician before their child is born. Or at least, the hospital staff will be the first to take on the role before parents find a pediatrician of their choice.

Some pediatricians work as outpatients or have their own clinics. Parents will be given instructions on when is the best time to take their child for a visit with the pediatrician.

Most pediatric consultations are called well-child visits. This refers to the time when children have to see the doctor their number of times within a year. It starts when the child is born until he is about 5 years old. Each meeting includes a thorough physical examination and counselling. Doctors can advise parents on the information needed in any matter that concerns their child. Usually things to focus on are nutrition, sleep, and mental and physical development. The doctor can also provide a little input to improve your child’s immunity. During this visit, immunizations or vaccinations may be given.

After 5 years, the child can see the doctor once a year for regular checkups, except when the child requires urgent or emergency care.

Child consultation can also be done while the child is in the hospital. The doctor will monitor the child’s response to treatment such as drugs or surgery. Consultation also occurs 2 to 3 days after the child has been discharged from the hospital.

Possible Complications and Risks of Pediatric Consultation

One of the main goals of consulting a pediatrician is to prevent unnecessary testing of the child, which can only result in pain or discomfort to them. This process itself does not have serious risks. However, as part of the protocol, a number of physical exams and vaccinations, may be required to ensure their health and this can be uncomfortable for children.