Pediatrics
Our services in the field of pediatrics cover all health problems that babies may have after birth. Prometeymed provides services for babies to have a healthy start to life by standing by their parents from surgical intervention to care services, especially for genetic-based diseases.
Pediatrics is a field of medicine that deals with the physical, behavioral and mental care of children from birth to 18 years of age. Doctors in this field are also called pediatricians. A pediatrician is a doctor who deals with the diagnosis and treatment of both minor and serious illnesses in children.
What is Pediatrics?
Pediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the health and medical care of infants, children and adolescents from birth to 18 years of age. The word “pediatrics” means “healer of children”; it is derived from two Greek words: “pais” meaning child and “iatros” meaning doctor or healer. Pediatrics is a relatively new medical specialty that began to develop in the mid-19th century.
What are pediatricians interested in?
Pediatricians focus on the physical, emotional and social health of infants, children, adolescents and young adults up to the age of 21. Because they work with so many aspects of children’s health, they are highly trained in assessing, detecting, preventing and managing problems that affect children. This can include everything from treating ear infections to talking to parents about school or behavioral problems, to seeing children for well-child exams or annual check-ups and giving them their vaccinations.
Here is a list of some of the procedures that pediatricians are trained and authorized to perform:
- Vaccination
- Treating dislocated shoulders or elbows
- Treating minor injuries
- Removing foreign objects such as splinters
- Taking care of broken bones
- Performing circumcision
The difference between a pediatrician and an adult doctor
Pediatrics differs from adult medicine in more ways than one. The smaller body of an infant, newborn or child is physiologically significantly different from that of an adult. Therefore, the process of treating a child is not equivalent to treating a small adult.
Congenital defects, genetic differences and developmental problems are of more concern to pediatricians than to doctors treating adults. There are also various legal issues in pediatrics. Children are minors and cannot make decisions for themselves in most jurisdictions. Issues of guardianship, privacy, legal responsibility and consent must be considered in every pediatric procedure.
Pediatrician training
The training of pediatricians varies considerably across the world. Depending on the jurisdiction and the university, a medical degree may be obtained at undergraduate or postgraduate level. The former, the undergraduate certificate, usually lasts five or six years. Those entering the postgraduate level (as in the US), which usually lasts four or five years, have often previously completed a three- or four-year university degree. Medical graduates have a degree specific to the country and university from which they graduated. This degree allows that medical doctor to be licensed or registered under the laws of that country, and sometimes several countries, subject to “internship” or “conditional registration” requirements.
To become a pediatrician in Turkey, one must first complete 6 years of compulsory medical school education and then take an exam called TUS. Finally, by showing sufficient success in the Medical Specialization Examination (TUS), the title of “Pediatrician” is earned. Thus, after a long and effective education in Turkey, qualified doctors interested in pediatrics can be trained.
In which cases should I take my child to the pediatrician?
Going to the doctor with your children can be scary, especially for first-time parents. However, it is very important to know when to take your child to the doctor in an emergency because even a single decision can save their lives. In addition, getting pediatric check-ups can prevent any disease from developing further and specialist doctors can uncover possible underlying conditions.
According to the CDC, it is estimated that in 2021, 4.6% of children aged 5 to 11 years will miss more than 11 days of school due to injury or illness. It can therefore be very important for every parent to know when to take their child to the doctor.
If your child shows symptoms of illness, you may wonder whether you should call the pediatrician right away or wait for them to get better over time, or you may want to take drastic measures and go to the emergency room. These are valid and understandable questions and the answer will depend on your child.
If your child is under 2 months old and has a temperature of 38°C, this is an emergency. In this case, you should go to the nearest emergency room instead of the pediatrician.
If the child is older, it will depend on other factors such as how long the fever lasts, how the child behaves, whether he or she eats, whether he or she cries all the time. If your child is vaccinated, you can expect the illness to go away on its own, depending on the intensity of the symptoms, but if your child is not vaccinated, all febrile illnesses require a visit to the doctor.
By the way, if there is vomiting or diarrhea, your child has a viral infection. Most of the time, these symptoms are not serious unless they are intense. The problem here is the possibility of dehydration, which can be dangerous. Most stomach problems last 24 hours, but if they last longer, you should contact your pediatrician.
Child health
The development of a healthy child actually begins before conception with the health of the parents and their genetic heritage. Development continues throughout conception and the prenatal period. During this time, there is naturally a significant overlap between pediatric concerns for the fetus and pregnancy concerns for the mother.
Once the baby is born, there are new and important issues to address, such as breastfeeding, newborn screening tests and sleep safety. Shortly after birth, health appointments for check-ups and immunizations begin. These are followed by other issues such as when and how to introduce solid foods, toilet training and when to visit the dentist.
The field of pediatrics recognizes the classic stages in growth and development, but these stages are not always sharply differentiated, as a child’s growth and development is a continuum. A baby changes at an astonishing rate during the newborn period and early infancy. Before you know it, your baby starts to walk, soon becomes a toddler, then a child, and a little over ten years later enters puberty. This can be an intense and challenging time for both the child and the family.
