Future of Paediatrics

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2022-2023

Topic

Paediatrics is one of the most traditional independent specialities in medicine; the first textbook devoted to the diseases of childhood was published more than 250 years ago (1764). Nevertheless, paediatrics is also one of the most rapidly changing filed in medical practice. Not only the rapid developments in sciences and technologies modify the practice of treating sick children, but also structural changes in modern societies dramatically influence both the need for paediatric care and the requirements of good clinical practice within paediatrics.
The course attempts to discuss actual and therefore continuously changing topics of paediatrics in the near and foreseeable future with those students of medicine who show special interest for clinical subjects.
For instance, protein energy malnutrition endangers not only well-being but also pure existence of millions of children around the socially handicapped regions of the world. However, some consequences of self-selected restrictive diets that resembles health problems seen in protein energy malnutrition may manifest themselves also in children living in economically highly privileged societies as well. Besides the ever-present problem of protein energy malnutrition, the relatively new phenomenon of childhood obesity became one of the biggest challenges of contemporary and future paediatrics. The health of the obese child might be in acute danger because of severe diseases like non-alcoholic fatty liver, however, the most frightening potential consequence of being obese as child is the possibility of minor metabolic disturbances to persist, cause smouldering severe damages and manifest in devastating diseases several decades later in life.
In addition, the roles of such classic fields within paediatrics like neonatology or care for children with congenital anomalies are also rapidly changing today. Survival of preterm infants with a birthweight of less than 1000 g was an unheard of phenomenon just a few decades ago, whereas their survival rate is well over 90% in societies with at least standard level of paediatric care. However, the quality of survival of very low birthweight preterm infants is one of the most interesting questions of current and future paediatric research. Or to just name another highly progressive field of paediatric care, treatment of children with inborn errors of metabolism and or other rare diseases opens complex questions both within the field of medical ethics and in the field of financial decision making of alternative medical treatments.
This teaching course uses the above-mentioned examples and other clinical situations to outline major profiles of future development of paediatrics. The nature of the course allows discussing also such brand new results of paediatric research that could not yet be incorporated into the basic teaching material of paediatrics.

Lectures

• 1. How did paediatrics develop into the most complex independent field of medicine? - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 2. Children in societies of the future around the world - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 3. Continuously improving survival of preterm infants and other sick neonates - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 4. Future tasks in improving quality of life in preterm infants and in other sick neonates - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 5. Protein energy malnutrition in children living in developing countries - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 6. Malnutrition in children living in affluent countries - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 7. Acute untoward health effects of obesity in children - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 8. Health status of obese children 50 years later - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 9. Effect of screening programs on prevalence and course paediatric diseases - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 10. Role of biomarkers in evaluating health status in children - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 11. Challenges of social paediatrics in the 21st century - Dr. Decsi Tamás
• 12. Present hurdles and future possibilities of paediatric clinical research - Dr. Decsi Tamás

Practices

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

Literature developed by the Department

The slides of the course will be available for the students. Pertinent publications discussed during the course will be made avaialble either electrnically or as hand material.

Notes

Recommended literature

Marcdante K, Kliegman R : Nelson Essentials of Pediatrics, 7th edition, Elsevier 2015

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Maximum of 15 % absence allowed

Mid-term exams

Evaluatiuon at the end of the course.

Making up for missed classes

If the student missed the course beacuse of accepotable reason, there is possibility to meet the requirements by completeing extra teaching activity at home.

Exam topics/questions

1. Children in the society: present and potential future
2. Survival of preterm infants and the quality of life after
3. Prevention of protein energy malnutrition in children
4. Acute consequences of childhood obesity
5. Long-term consequences of childhood obesity
6. Prevention of allergic diseases in children
7. Effect of screening investigations on the prevalence and course of paediatric diseases
8. Role of biomarkers in evaluating health status in children
9. Challenges of social paediatrics in the 21st century
10. Problems of clinical studies carried out in children

Examiners

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars

• Dr. Decsi Tamás