Screening and genetics
Screening Screening aims to identify unrecognized disease in apparently well people. Cost must be considered and balanced against that of treatment if the problem presents later. Conditions suitable for screening…
Ethics and the child in society
html xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml”> 68 Ethics and the child in society There are many situations in paediatric medicine which involve ethical questions. Ethics are the moral values that people hold which enable…
Sudden infant death
Acute Life-Threatening Events and SIDS Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of an infant with no apparent pathological cause on post-mortem. It is commonly known as ‘cot…
Adolescent issues
Adolescent Harmful Health Behaviours Adolescence is naturally a time of increasing independence for young people away from parental supervision. It is normal for young people to experiment with more adult…
Neglect and abuse
Overview Children are dependent on their carers for their physical, emotional and developmental needs, their supervision and safety. It is hard to understand that adults can harm children—yet this occurs…
Visual and hearing impairment
html xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml”> 64 Visual and hearing impairment Visual Impairment A child is partially sighted if visual acuity is less than 6/18 and therefore educational aids such as large print books…
Living with chronic illness
A chronic medical condition is defined as an illness that lasts longer than 3 months, and is sufficiently severe to interfere with a child’s ordinary activities. According to the UK…
Living with a disability
Children with disabilities have complex health needs. Many of the issues described in Chapter 61 are relevant to families with a disabled child. It is important to appreciate the terminology…
Chronic diarrhoea
Toddler Diarrhoea Toddlers often experience non-specific diarrhoea, probably due to a rapid gastrocolic reflex. Features are drinking excessive fluids, particularly fruit juices, and food particles in the stool. The diagnosis…
