General concepts of

Pediatrics.
PEDIATRICS CONCEPT
Pediatrics in general is the science that studies
children's diseases.
• Social pediatrics: Science that studies the
healthy child in relation to the community. In
such a way that it studies the sick child and the
healthy one.
• Preventive pediatrics: Exclusively deals with
healthy children.

Valeria Zenteno
Valeria Zenteno
PERIODS IT GOES THROUGH THE BOY
• PERINATAL PERIOD : Before birth. It includes
from 28 weeks of gestation to the first 7 days of
life.
• NEONATAL PERIOD. Newborn : From the
moment of birth until the first 28 days.
• EARLY NEONATAL PERIOD : It includes from the
moment of birth to the first 7 days of life.
• LATE NEONATAL PERIOD : It includes from the
first 7 days to 28.

Valeria Zenteno
PERIODS IT GOES THROUGH
THE BOY
• LACTATION PERIOD : From 28 days of life to 2
years:
*Lact. Minor: up to 1 year.
*Lact. Older: from 1 year to 2 years.
• PRESCHOOL PERIOD : Includes from 2 years to
6 years.
• SCHOOL PERIOD : From 6 years old to
11.
• PUBERAL PERIOD : From 12 to 14 years old.
• ADOLESCENCE PERIOD : From 15 to
18 years old.

Valeria Zenteno
 MORPHOLOGICAL/BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE
CHILD THAT DIFFERENTIATES FROM THE ADULT
• GROWTH: Very important characteristic of the
child and not of the adult. Furthermore, it is
common for all the aforementioned periods.
• MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION: The child
is NOT a miniature of the adult. For example,
the newborn has an excessively large skull
compared to the rest of the body.

Valeria Zenteno
• NUTRITION AND METABOLISM: It has
great importance in the child, and is
different from the adult.
For example, a baby cannot eat whole meat,
even if it is minced, because his or her body
does not accept so much protein. During the
first months their food should be exclusively
milk.
• IMMUNOLOGY: Immunological
peculiarities. When the child is born, he has

Valeria Zenteno
passive immunity from the mother.

Valeria Zenteno
 The child's organs and systems form a unit, in
such a way that a disease of one organ or system
can affect another or others.
For example, a child with otitis may present with
vomiting, gastroenteritis (ap. Digestive), urine
infection (ap. Urinary),...

Valeria Zenteno
MEDICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHILD THAT
DIFFERENTIATES THEM FROM THE ADULT

• Peculiarities in clinical reactions . A

child's infection tends to spread quickly and
with atypical symptoms. A child who
apparently has an ear infection may have any
other infection.
• Genetic influence and the fetal period .
All genetic malformations and diseases occur
and sometimes manifest in childhood.
During pregnancy, periodic ultrasounds are
performed to detect congenital diseases.

Valeria Zenteno
 Own therapeutics . Dosage of
minimal medications. The dosage
of medications in children is usually in mg /
kg of weight / day, or mg or g / m2 of body
surface.

• Healthcare and scientific .

When reviewing any disease, or in any test,
even to select a route, we need informed
consent.

Valeria Zenteno
 SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS
• Influence of demographics. One of the greatest
achievements that pediatrics has achieved is
reducing infant mortality, which is linked to
poverty, ignorance and usually to the achievements
of industrialization.

Valeria Zenteno
Independence with adult pathology. Most
adult pathologies can be sequelae of some
childhood pathology.
Emphasize the importance of prevention: Ex: we
must prevent childhood obesity to prevent adult
obesity.

Valeria Zenteno
Influence of the environment. The child is very
sensitive to the environment, and the smaller he is,
the greater his receptivity to the environment.
Climate, hygiene, type of housing,..., influence the
child.
Importance of health problems and prophylaxis.
Health promotion is important. Vaccination,
screening (monitoring or prophylaxis) that are

Valeria Zenteno G.
done from newborn.
Valeria Zenteno G.