Common behaviour problems
Common Emotional and Behavioural Problems These problems are seen so often that many would regard them as normal, although in a small minority the behaviour is so disruptive that it…
Cough and wheeze
The ‘Chesty’ Child Children commonly present with coryza, breathlessness, cough, wheeze or noisy breathing. This is often due to a viral URTI (see Chapter 21) or asthma (see Chapter 26)….
Persistent fever and serious recurrent infections
Persistent Fever and Pyrexia of Unknown Origin Pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) refers to prolonged fever (more than 1 week in young children and 2–3 weeks in adolescents). Often the…
Congenital abnormalities
Patterns of Congenital Abnormality The incidence of congenital abnormalities is 10–15 per 1000 births. The commonest are congenital heart defects (8 per 1000) (see Chapter 19). Abnormalities range from a…
Short stature and poor growth
Short stature is usually physiological, and is due to reduced genetic potential or maturational delay (slow physical development). Fall-off in growth is much more concerning as it suggests a pathological…
Child health promotion
Health Education and Promotion Young families are growing up more isolated, without the support of extended families. In the UK health promotion is delivered by health visiting teams through the…
The newborn baby
The Normal Newborn The vast majority of babies are born at term, in good condition and do not require any medical involvement. Most babies in the UK are born in…
