New Trends in Pediatric Care

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine that pertains to caring for the health and wellbeing of children, infants, adolescents, and young adults.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that individuals visit pediatricians till the age of 21, while in the UK, Pediatricians attend to patients up to the age of 18.

In India, Pediatric care has become increasingly important over the years because of the rising proportion of Individuals under 18 years of age in society.

It is estimated that 59% of India’s population currently is under 18 years of age. In addition to this, and along with some overlap, 15% of the country’s population are women of childbearing age.

It, therefore, becomes necessary for healthcare practitioners to stay updated on the latest global trends in pediatric care, and also for healthcare consumers, especially parents, to stay aware of the work being done in order to bring pediatric care in India to global standards.

Following are some of these trends –

1) Specialized care for the girl child – 

For a long time, the girl child in India has suffered from neglect and apathy. With rising levels of education and awareness, that has now changed, especially so in urban areas.

Science has also proven the need for specialized care for the girl child owing to differentiated nutritional requirements of girls vis-à-vis boys.

2) Comprehensive care as against disease centric care – 

Pediatricians today are no longer focused on curing diseases alone, but on holistic and comprehensive care which attempts to avoid disease altogether. It is very important therefore for families to involve pediatricians in the upbringing of their children so that their health can be monitored regularly and the focus can be on prevention rather than cure.

3) Keeping tabs on mental health – 

In a concerted effort from society toward removing the stigma attached to mental illness and disorders, medical practitioners today are at the forefront of bringing mental healthcare into the mainstream.

Pediatricians today are keeping tabs on the mental health of children as well, and treating ailments at an early age before they become serious issues.