What is Pediatric Endocrinology and What Are Areas of Interest?
Endocrinology is a branch of medicine that deals with hormones and diseases of endocrine glands secreting these hormones.Problems managed by Pediatric Endocrinologists differ significantly from disorders dealt by Endocrinologists who perform adult care.Specific training regarding growth and developmental in childhood is important.Hormonal problems can develop at any phase of the life.Pediatric Endocrinologists deal with hormonal disorders at any stage of childhood and adolescence.
Pediatric Endocrinology Education
Pediatric endocrinologists are medical practitioners who attend 6-year school of medicine followed by pediatrics residency for 5 years and subsequent pediatric oncology specialty education for 3 years.
Pediatric Endocrinology deals with diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of endocrinologic problems that develop newborn infants, babies, children and adolescents or in other words from infancy to age of 18 years.
• Growth and developmental retardations
• Short posture
• Early and late adolescence
• Obesity
• Goiter and thyroid Diseases (Goiter, Hyperthyroidism)
• Sexual development disorders
• Penile Problems
• Adrenal Diseases
• High blood glucose (Diabetes Mellitus)
• Hypoglycemia (Low Blood glucose level)
• Irregular menstrual cycles in youg girls
• Anormal hair growth
• Pituitary Gland Diseases
• Turner Syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome
• Vitamin D-related diseases
• Disorders of calcium and phosphorus metabolisms
• Water and mineral disorders
• Bone diseases.
All dynamic endocrinologic tests (growth hormone challenge tests, growth hormone suppression tests, stimulation and suppression tests for adrenal gland, stimulation tests for adolescence hormones, glucose challenge test etc.) used for diagnosis of these diseases can be done in Pediatric Endocrinology department.
