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.

Infections in Childhood

Pediatrics Training

Pediatric Skin Conditions

Subspecialties of Pediatrics

Pediatrician: Role, Education, Training, Subspecialties

Mental Health Disorders and Children

Supporting Children with Mental Health Disorders

Effects of Passive Smoking on Children's Health

How Fast Food Affects Children's Health

Importance of Sensory Stimulation for Babies

Child and Adolescent Sports Injuries

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A Brief History of Pediatrics

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Survey reveals critical knowledge gaps in maternal health recommendations

Most Americans know that how well a mother takes care of herself before and during pregnancy affects the health of a baby, but many people remain unclear about some specific maternal health recommendations, including when to start avoiding alcohol, according to a new nationally representative survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

29 May 2026

Healthy lifestyles reduce chronic health risks for childhood cancer survivors

Healthy lifestyles can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other complications in childhood cancer survivors. These are the findings of two new international studies.

29 May 2026

Immediate kangaroo mother care boosts survival for premature infants

Preterm birth and low birth weight remain major contributors to neonatal death and long-term developmental challenges.

29 May 2026

AI model tracks child maturity patterns through routine ECG data

A new study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggests a routine heart test – an electrocardiogram (ECG) – may offer researchers a new way to measure biological development in children and adolescents.

28 May 2026

Scientists urge advocacy to protect vital global vaccine research

Scientists and physicians should advocate to protect the vaccine research infrastructure that has saved an estimated 154 million lives over the past 50 years, according to a new commentary by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the University of Washington.

22 May 2026

New computational tool uses plain language for genetic diagnosis

A new computational tool called MARRVEL-MCP helps researchers move toward genetic diagnoses more efficiently by analyzing and interpreting vast amounts of genetic and biological information using everyday language.

21 May 2026

Structured approach to a healthy lifestyle may help slow important aspects of aging

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine found evidence of slowed aging from lifestyle behaviors like healthy eating and exercise as part of a major clinical trial.

21 May 2026

Study defines realistic performance goals for pediatric emergency departments

A large, multi-center study led by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago derived "achievable benchmarks of care" (ABCs) using electronic health record data, which allows pediatric emergency departments across the country to set high yet realistic performance goals.

21 May 2026

ChatCPR instructor delivers near-perfect CPR guidance in proof-of-concept study

A proof-of-concept JAMA Internal Medicine study found that widely available AI models could deliver many guideline-concordant CPR instructions in simulated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest scenarios. A purpose-built AI agent, ChatCPR, achieved higher checklist-based adherence than baseline AI models and dispatcher-assisted CPR instructions, but prospective real-world validation is still needed.

20 May 2026

Home healthcare safety events affect more than one in 10 children with medical complexity

More than one in 10 children with medical complexity had an incident reported by home care agency staff, according to a multi-state study recently published in JAMA Network Open.

20 May 2026

Risk-taking during play may strengthen children’s real-world safety skills

Children who take more risks on the playground make safe decisions more quickly when crossing a busy street.

19 May 2026

New wristband algorithm detects sudden cardiac arrest with high accuracy

A smart-technology wearable wristband device may be able to automatically detect cardiac arrest, which could lead to faster medical assistance and increased survival odds when cardiac arrest occurs outside of a hospital, according to new research published today in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, a peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Heart Association.

19 May 2026

New skin patch could replace bulky polygraphs and sleep monitors

A novel wireless chest patch enables continuous monitoring of stress signals, enhancing psychophysiological assessment in clinical and real-world settings.

19 May 2026

Leucovorin use for autism surged after public promotion campaigns

Researchers from the University of California San Diego found that prescriptions for leucovorin, a drug sometimes used off-label for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), rose sharply among children after widespread media attention and public statements from White House officials.

19 May 2026

ChatCPR system shows promise for improving emergency cardiac arrest response

A new study from scientists at the University of California San Diego in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, and other institutions, demonstrates that an artificial intelligence-powered CPR coaching agent can outperform 911 dispatchers in guiding bystanders through cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

19 May 2026

Azithromycin fails to improve severe wheezing in preschool children

A study led by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson showed that giving the antibiotic azithromycin did not help preschool children seen in the hospital emergency room with bouts of severe wheezing.

18 May 2026

Brain immune cells found to regulate anxiety and grooming behaviors

A study led by a University of Louisville School of Medicine pediatrics and child neurology researcher reveals how a specific signaling mechanism in microglia, the brain's immune cell, can regulate anxiety and grooming behaviors. These behaviors are core symptoms of autism and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.

14 May 2026

Wearable wireless polygraph tracks hidden stress signals

Northwestern University engineers have developed a small, wireless polygraph system you can wear.

13 May 2026

Physician mothers return to work sooner than many Canadian parents, study finds

Ontario physicians increased their workload in the first two trimesters of pregnancy, suggesting many may frontload clinical work before parental leave. Parental leave varied widely by specialty, with surgeons returning earliest and psychiatrists returning latest, highlighting persistent inequities in how medical practice supports childbearing physicians.

11 May 2026

Medicaid expansion associated with lower death rates in young adults with kidney failure

Among young adults with kidney failure, the expansion of Medicaid following the Affordable Care Act signed into law in 2010 was associated with substantial declines in one-year death rates, researchers from Brown University found in a new study.

11 May 2026