What Is Pediatrics?

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine focused on the health and medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. Physicians who specialize in treating children are known as pediatricians. They are trained to monitor a child’s growth, development, and overall well-being from birth through young adulthood.

Pediatricians play a vital role in ensuring that children:

  • Reach appropriate developmental milestones
  • Receive proper nutrition and rest
  • Engage in sufficient physical activity
  • Stay up-to-date with preventive care, including vaccinations

Routine wellness visits allow pediatricians to identify and address health concerns early. When necessary, they may refer children to specialists for more advanced care.

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What Are the Subspecialties of Pediatrics?

Pediatricians can receive additional training in specific areas of medicine, leading to a number of pediatric subspecialties, including:

Neonatology

Neonatologists care for newborns, especially those born prematurely or with serious health conditions. These infants are typically treated in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Pediatric Neuropsychology

These specialists assess and treat children with developmental, behavioral, or cognitive disorders caused by illness, injury, or neurological conditions.

Pediatric Ophthalmology

Pediatric ophthalmologists diagnose and manage vision problems in children, including eye infections, congenital conditions, and glaucoma.

Pediatric Endocrinology

These doctors treat disorders of the endocrine system, such as diabetes, growth delays, hormonal imbalances, and intersex conditions.

Pediatric Oncology

Pediatric oncologists specialize in diagnosing and treating childhood cancers, typically in patients up to 14 years of age.

Pediatric Pulmonology

These specialists focus on respiratory diseases in children, including asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and other lung-related conditions.

What Are the Reasons for a Pediatrician Visit?

Pediatricians are equipped to treat a wide range of childhood illnesses and conditions, including:

  • Allergies and asthma
  • Diabetes
  • Celiac disease
  • Fetal alcohol syndrome
  • Developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders
  • Hay fever
  • Constipation
  • Influenza and the common cold
  • Minor injuries or infections

In addition to treating illnesses, pediatricians provide essential preventive care services such as:

  • Vaccinations
  • Physical exams, including those needed for school or sports participation
  • Routine wellness checks to monitor growth and development

What Are the Stages of Growth?

Pediatricians care for patients throughout all stages of childhood and adolescence, monitoring physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development along the way.

Infancy

During infancy, pediatricians assess newborns for physical abnormalities, monitor weight gain, and track key milestones such as:

  • Lifting the head
  • Smiling
  • Crawling
  • Grasping objects

Infants also begin receiving routine wellness check-ups and vaccinations during this stage.

Early Childhood

In this stage, children begin walking, running, and speaking. Pediatricians monitor language and motor skills, and many developmental disorders, such as autism, are often diagnosed during this period. Vaccinations continue at regular intervals.

Middle Childhood

Children develop greater independence and refined motor and language skills. They learn to dress and feed themselves and exhibit greater cognitive and social growth. Additional vaccinations are typically administered around age 5.

Adolescence

This stage includes both puberty and rapid cognitive development, particularly in areas such as memory, organization, and reasoning. Pediatricians continue monitoring mental, physical, and emotional changes. By age 12, most children receive their final set of routine vaccinations. Around age 18, patients typically transition to adult care providers.