DEVELOPMENTAL PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

Module pediatrics

General paediatrics deals with the overall health (e.g., physical, mental and social health) and with the study of prevention of diseases during childhood, i.e., during the developmental age; with developmental age we mean the period between the prenatal age (i.e., the three phases preceding birth) and the end of the natural process of physical growth and cognitive maturation (which, according to the European standards ends up at age 18 years and by the USA standards ends up at about age 20-22 years.

Specifically, this teaching deals with:

(a) Physiology and development of the neonate (including topics dealing with neonatal pathology), the child and the adolescent;

(b) Prevention paediatrics, i.e., all medical acts and activities aimed to reduce mortality secondary to given diseases and morbidity (i.e., the frequency of given diseases) in children;

(c) Specialty paediatrics, i.e. all acute and chronic diseases affecting various organs during the developmental age: cardiology, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, neurology, haematology, oncology, endocrinology, rheumatology, infectious diseases, and dermatology;

(d) Social paediatrics, i.e., health problems catering from the overall childhood community (prevention ans community medicine)

The course aims to provide the bases and fundaments of: (a) anatomy and physiology during development; (b) prevention and social medicine during development; (c) health education and understanding of diseases during childhood and adolescence and of the main acute and chronic conditions physically or mentally disabling children or interfering with their learning processes.

Academic lessons are mainly performed with slides showing drawings, figures and images. Students are encouraged to take active part during the lessons.

Teaching might be carried out remotely, via on-line platforms.

Student can request to train in the clinical unit; these practical laboratories are based at the AOU "Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele" - via s. Sofia, 78 (Policlinico)

basic knowledge of biology, physiology, genetics

Neonatology

The healthy newborn

The newborn infant and newborn care

Birth trauma

Preventive Pediatrics

Pediatric primary care

Normal growth and development

Feeding: infant, toddler, child and adolescent.

Neonatal screening

Vaccinations

General Pediatrics

Growth failure

Infectious diseases

Genetic diseases

Seizures and epilepsy