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.

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Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Study uncovers inflammatory pathways that contribute to asthma flare-ups in children

A recent multicenter clinical trial has uncovered inflammatory pathways that contribute to asthma flare-ups in children that occur despite treatment, according to findings published in JAMA Pediatrics.

1 Aug 2025

Characterization of antibodies targeting ASO modifications for intracellular trafficking

A new article in the peer-reviewed journal Nucleic Acid Therapeutics describes the characterization of antibodies targeting antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) phosphorothioate and 2'-methoxyehtyl modifications for intracellular trafficking and biodistribution studies.

1 Aug 2025

Efficacy of methylprednisolone doses in severe Mycoplasma Pneumonia

Investigators compare efficacy of low- versus high-dose of methylprednisolone in preventing pulmonary lesions in children with severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia

1 Aug 2025

Suboptimal child passenger safety practices persist despite guidelines

Despite national guidelines, state laws and known safety benefits of child passenger restraint systems (CRS), suboptimal practices were found in nearly 70% of children under 13 years old who were involved in car crashes with a fatality from 2011 to 2021, according to a study published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention.

31 Jul 2025

UCSF research maps over 600 conditions linked to endometriosis

Records from millions of patients at UC health centers found correlations between endometriosis, one of the most common diseases in women, and a bounty of other diseases.

31 Jul 2025

Metformin lowers blood sugar by acting on brain pathways

Although metformin has been the go-to medication to manage type 2 diabetes for more than 60 years, researchers still do not have a complete picture of how it works.

31 Jul 2025

Chronically ill? In Kennedy’s view, it might be your own fault

On a recent weekday evening, Ashly Richards helped her 13-year-old son, Case, with homework. He did math problems and some reading, underscoring how much he's accomplished at his school for children with autism.

31 Jul 2025

Physicians lead effort to end race-based bias in lung function testing

Last July, a team of physicians and researchers successfully proposed modifications to the American Medical Association (AMA) Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, advocating against the use of race in lung function testing.

30 Jul 2025

Wastewater surveillance for detecting COVID-19 offers early warning and cost savings

Wastewater surveillance at treatment plants offers a low-cost, early warning method for detecting COVID-19. Researchers in Japan conducted an economic evaluation of a system for long-term care facilities that combines wastewater data with clinical testing thresholds to guide timely interventions.

30 Jul 2025

Innovative technologies push pediatric MRI beyond diagnostics

From fetal stages through adolescence, the b;rain undergoes rapid, layered development—from basic motor skills to complex emotional regulation.

30 Jul 2025

Fearing Medicaid coverage loss, some parents rush to vaccinate their kids

For two decades, Washington, D.C., pediatrician Lanre Falusi has counseled parents about vaccine safety, side effects, and timing. But this year, she said, the conversations have changed.

28 Jul 2025

UCSF discovery points to new strategies for Alzheimer's treatment

UCSF scientists have discovered how microglia engulf and break down amyloid beta, a protein that builds up in Alzheimer's, with devastating consequences for the brain.

28 Jul 2025

Outpatient therapy offers hope for young eating disorder patients after hospitalization

Eating disorders affect more than 5% of young people, and they have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness.

28 Jul 2025

Infants and preschoolers show unique signs of long COVID

Infants, toddlers and preschoolers exhibit symptoms of long COVID, but the symptoms can be different and more difficult to identify in these children, according to Rutgers Health research.

23 Jul 2025

Forever chemicals cross placenta and breast milk affecting babies’ immunity

New research reveals that tiny amounts of PFAS-widely known as "forever chemicals"-cross the placenta and breast milk to alter infants' developing immune systems, potentially leaving lasting imprints on their ability to fight disease.

23 Jul 2025

Teen dating app use may not be hurting their mental health

Nearly one in four teenagers are using dating apps - and it may not be hurting their mental health, suggests a new Northwestern Medicine study that monitored adolescents over six months.

23 Jul 2025

Weill Cornell Medicine launches study to advance treatments for rare neurological disorder

A $1.1 million grant from the parent-caregiver-led Rare Bird Foundation to Weill Cornell Medicine is supporting the launch of a natural history study for a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that causes developmental delays and seizures called MEF2C Haploinsufficiency syndrome (MCHS).

23 Jul 2025

New antibody therapy offers hope for fragile patients with Fanconi anemia

An antibody treatment developed at Stanford Medicine successfully prepared patients for stem cell transplants without toxic busulfan chemotherapy or radiation, a phase 1 clinical trial has shown.

22 Jul 2025

New genetic discovery could change how Friedreich's ataxia is diagnosed

A University of Oklahoma researcher is the first to discover that the sequence of the genetic defect in the neuromuscular disease Friedreich's ataxia isn't always as uniform as previously thought, a breakthrough finding that could spark changes in how the condition is diagnosed and studied.

21 Jul 2025

Combination of two cancer drugs could treat the most common form of dementia

A study comparing the gene expression signature of Alzheimer's disease with those elicited by 1,300 approved drugs found a combination of two cancer medications that could treat the most common form of dementia.

21 Jul 2025