General pediatric study refers to the field of medicine that focuses on the health and well-being of infants, children, and adolescents. It involves the study of various aspects of child health, including growth and development, common childhood illnesses, preventive care, and management of chronic conditions. Here are some key areas of study within general pediatrics:
1. Growth and Development: Pediatricians study the normal growth and development patterns of children, including physical, cognitive, and emotional milestones. They assess factors that can influence growth, such as nutrition, genetics, and environmental factors.
2. Common Childhood Illnesses: Pediatricians study the diagnosis, treatment, and management of common childhood illnesses, such as respiratory infections, gastrointestinal disorders, skin conditions, and childhood cancers. They learn about the signs and symptoms, appropriate diagnostic tests, and evidence-based treatment options for these conditions.
3. Preventive Care: Pediatricians focus on preventive care, including well-child visits, immunizations, and screenings. They study the recommended immunization schedules, guidelines for developmental screenings, and strategies for promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing childhood obesity.
4. Chronic Conditions: Pediatricians study the management of chronic conditions that affect children, such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and autoimmune disorders. They learn about the long-term care, medication management, and lifestyle modifications necessary to optimize the health and quality of life of children with chronic conditions.
5. Pediatric Emergencies: Pediatricians study the recognition and management of pediatric emergencies, including respiratory distress, seizures, allergic reactions, and trauma. They learn about the appropriate resuscitation techniques, emergency medications, and protocols for stabilizing critically ill or injured children.
6. Behavioral and Mental Health: Pediatricians study the assessment and management of behavioral and mental health issues in children, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and autism spectrum disorders. They learn about screening tools, counseling techniques, and referral pathways to mental health specialists.
7. Research and Evidence-Based Medicine: Pediatricians engage in research to advance the field of pediatrics and improve patient care. They study research methodologies, data analysis, and interpretation of scientific literature to stay updated with the latest evidence-based practices.
8. Communication and Family-Centered Care: Pediatricians learn effective communication skills to interact with children and their families. They study the principles of family-centered care, cultural sensitivity, and ethical considerations in pediatric practice.
General pediatric study involves a comprehensive understanding of child health and development, encompassing both the physical and psycho
2. Child Health In Ethiopia
• Objectives of the session
-Define Child health indicators of Ethiopia
-Describe the major causes of morbidity and mortality
- Describe key interventions in child health care
3. PEDIATRICS
DEFINATION :- Is a study the care of children in sickness and health.
• The word pediatrics comes from the Greek and means “child cure”
• This field is one of the most broadest of all medical specialities b/c it
includes:
- A study of growth and dev’t of a total person from conception to
adolescence
- Prevention, diagnosis and Rx of disorders affecting children during
their growing years
4. DEFINTIONS OF TERMS
• Foetus – From conception to birth (From 9 months of conception in
the mother’s womb to birth)
• Neonate- The first month of life (birth to 28 days)
• Infant – The first years of life after birth (From 1 month of 1 years)
• Preschool child – Under five year-old
• School child – From 5 year to 15 year old
• Puberty – The period from about 9 years to 15 years
5. - Nearly 50% of the population of Africa are children (From birth to 15
years old)
- Almost all born healthy, but approximately 180 out of every 1,000
children born alive die before the age of 5 years .
- Infant mortality (death before 1 years of age) = 110 per 1,000 live
births; and an additional 60 deaths per 1,000 children b/n their first
and fifth birth days
6. General Facts and Rationales of Child Health
• Child - Include all the stages that a human being goes through before
he/she becomes a full-grown adult
-Nearly 50% of the popn of Africa are children (From Birth to 15 years old)
- Almost all of them are born healthy, but
- Approximately 180 out of every 1,000 children born alive die before the
age of 5 years (Under five mortality rate= CMR = 180/1,000)
- Death before 1 year of age = 110 per 1,000 live births
-Additional 60 deaths per 1,000 children b/n the first and fifth birthdays
- Severe malnutrition in under 5= 34%
7. • - These (the above) figures can decrease dramatically when:
1-The general standard of living rises
2- Preventive measures are introduced
3- Basic curative services become available to every child
• A bout 65% of child death are preventable at low cost
8. Age and Disease patterns
• The following lists summarize the most important disease pattern
that will be encountered at different age
• 1- Intrauterine Fetal life
-Maternal infection - other maternal diseases
- Maternal toxaemia - congenital and inherited abnormalities
- Maternal malnutrition - many as yet unknown causes
9. 2- from Birth to one month (Neonatal period)
-Obstetric complications and birth injuries
-Asphyxia (Failure to breath at birth)
- Low birth weight babies
- Congenital abnormalities
-Infection leading to septicemia
- Neonatal tetanus
- Death of the mother
10. • 3- First year of life (Period of infancy)
• - Respiratory disease - Malaria
• - Diarrheal disease -Measles
• - Measles -PEM (especially marasmus)
• - Sudden weaning deprivation
11. 4- Second to Fifth year of life
- Malnutrition (marasmus, kwashiorkor or both)
- Pneumonia (often caused by measles or whooping cough)
- Diarrheal diseases
- Malaria and measles
- Anaemia (sometimes caused by hook worm)
- Tuberculosis and AIDS
- Accidents
12. • 5- After 5 years
- Infectious diseases - Malaria
- Intestinal parasites - Skin diseases
- Malnutrition - Respiratory diseases
- Deprivation and neglect
• NB- Most of the above childhood diseases are preventable; so a great
emphasis must be put on preventive programmes
• E.g- Education on nutrition
- Immunization
-Environmental sanitation
14. Illness burden in Ethiopia
• 6-12 episodes of illness per year (<5 yrs)
• 40% sick in the last 2 weeks
• Fever 30%
• Diarrhea 25%
• Cough 23 %
• fast breathing 13%
17. ASSESSING CHILD GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
• DEFINITION
• GROWTH – Is an increase in size of the organism, which may be due
to ↑es in no of cells or tissue or ↑in size of each individual cell →
increase in size
• Growth begins from conception and continues through out child
hood and adolescent until maturity.
• Development:- A acquisition of function by the tissue or the organism
as a whole, and it is since conception to death
• Development means increase of function (what a child can do)
• Growth and development go together, but at different speeds.
18. DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES (MILESTONES)
• The dev’t of child can be assessed from different point of view
• It can be classified into four stages
1- Gross motor development
2- Fine motor development
3- Cognitive development
4- Psychosocial development
19. 1- Gross motor development
• At about 3 month- the infant exhibits almost no head lag
• At 5 month, the infant sits with support
• At 8 month, the infant sits with out support
• At 9 month, stand with support
• At 12 month (1 year) – the infant can walk with support
20. 2. Fine motor development
The infant has strong grasp at 1 month
The infant can grasp voluntarily at 5 month
The infant develops pincer gasp at about 9mnths
3- Cognitive development
• In the sensory-motor stage b/n birth and 18 month, intellect develops
and the infant gains knowledge of the environment through the senses
dev’t progress from reflexive activity to purposeful acts
21. • Language – crying is the 1st means of communication .
• Laughing, babbling and constant sound begins b/n 3 and 4 month
• Combining syllables (ma-ma) begins by 8 month
• Infant says and understand “mama” and “dada” in correct context by
10 month
• By 12 month the infant can says b/n 12 and 14 words in correct
context
22. • Psychosocial development
• Stranger anxiety typically begins around 6 months
• Social smile at 2 month of age
• Enjoys social interaction at 4 months
• At 12 months the infant shows emotion such as jealousy and affection.
• The various skills the baby and young child learn are called mile stones
• All children are different → some walk early, others late
• The average at which children reach various milestones is given below
23. AverageAge Motordev’t Language and social behaviours
1 month Can lift head when prone Can fix with eyes, often smiles
3-6 month Good head control Can follow an object with eyes, play with
hands
6-9 month Can sit unsupported Grasps actively, makes loud noises
9-12 month Able to stand Understands a few words, tries to use them
12-18 month Able to walk Grasps small objects with thumb and fingers
2 years Able to run around as much as
he/she wants
Can say several words or even some
sentences
3 years Actively playing, clever in
climbing and jumping
Starts talking a lot, curious and inquisitive
SUMMARY OF NORMAL DEVELOPMENT MILESTONES
24. GROWTH MEASUREMENTS
• The best way to measure growth is by weighing, other ways include:
measuring height, arm circumference and head circumference
1- HEIGHT
• Height growth is faster in the 1st 6 month of life , and again in early puberty
than the rest of childhood
• From 0-6 month an infant grows 2.5 cm/month
• Average 6month old infant is 63.8 cm
• Average 12 month is 72.5 cm
25. 2. WEIGHT
- Average birth weight is 3.5 kg
- Weight doubles at 4-5 month
- Weight triples at one year
- Daily wt gain is 20-30 gm/d for 1st 3-4 mo and 15-20 gm/d for the rest 5
years.
26. 3. HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE
35 cm at birth
change 1cm/month for the 1st 1 year, and than 10cm for the rest of life
head grows 12cm in circumference in the 1st 12 mo (6 cm in the 1st 3 mo, 3 cm in the
next 3month, 3 cm in the rest of the month)
in normal infant, Hc > CC up to 1 year, but equal for another 6month, and then, after
18 mos of age, the CC > HC.
N.B – The Hc is measured by taking the greatest distance around the forehead and
the back of the head above the ears (maximum fronto-occipital circumference)
27. 4- ARM CIRCUMFERENCE
- The circumference of the middle of the upper arm ↑es fairly rapidly
to about 16 cm by the age of 1 year.
-Remains nearly constant from 1 to 5 years (increases only about
1cm, to 17cm )
5- TOOTH ERUPTION
• Lower central incisors erupt at 6 month of age
• By 2 and ½ years all the 20 deciduous teeth erupt
• Permanent teeth start to appear at the age of 6 years
28. FACTORS AFFECTING GROWTH AND DEV’T
- Nutrition – Good nutrition is the base for normal growth and dev’t
- Prenatal condition
- Post natal environment
- Hereditary
