PROPAEDEUTICS OF PEDIATRICS
The main aim of teaching in our department is to acquaint the students with normal growth
and development of the child in particular develompental periods, it means: neonatal period,
infancy, toddler's years, preschool years, preschool years, early-school years, puberty and
adolescence. It is especially important for doctors to know some peculiarities of
developmental periods that cause different methodology of child physical examination as
well as different significance of interview data and laboratory findings.
The next important topic is to teach students how to obtain the health history and how to
perform proper physical examination, especially in infants and young children. Apart from
this students should learn the estimation of somatic growth and psychomotor development.
Very important part of teaching is also to acquaint the students witch the modern
prophylaxis and health promotion concerning child growth and development. The student
should know how to perform screening tests used in pediatrics as well as should know general
rules of proper feeding and infectious diseases prophylaxis during childhood
The name of Unit in witch the subject is realized Clinic of Pediatric Hematology and
Oncology
Head Prof dr hab. Mariusz Wysocki
Clinical Departament Pediatrics and Nephrology Children's Hospital Toruń
Head Dr n.med Roman Stankiewicz
Total hours:
90 hours include:
30 hours of seminars
60 hours of classes
FORMS OF ACTIVITIES
Subjects of Pediatrics is carried out in one semester in forms seminars, classes
and colloquium (final test).
1. Seminars are conducted 30h in 6 th semester. They include general rules of physical
examination of the child and knowledge about somatic growth and psychomotor
development, puberty, immunity, feeding and prophylaxis of anemia.
2. Classes include 60h in 6 th semester, and are dedicated to knowledge of the normal
growth, and development of the child in particular developmental periods. For better
observation of normal child and his interactions with peers a few classes are conducted
in nursery and kindergarten. Part of classes is dedicated to teaching students how to
perform physical examination in proper way. Classes are carried out in 3-4 students
groups per one tutor. During the classes students are controlled by tutor with
acquaintance of subject theory.
3. The material with pediatrics is controlled once at the end of 6 th semestr as a test with
unichoice questions. It consist of 75 questions and 60 % of correct answers marks test
as passed (60%-67% of correct answers-3; 68%-75% of correct answers-3+; 76%-83%
of correct answers-4; 84%-91% of correct answers-4+; 92%-100% of correct answers5)
SUBJECTS OF SEMINARS
1.
Health history and examination

Personal details

Presenting complaints

Past medical history

Family history

Social history

Methods used in performing a physical examination (inspection, palpation,
percussion, auscultation)
2.


Vital signs (consciousness, respiration, pulse, blood pressure, temperature)

General appearance (skin, lymph nodes and musculoskeletal system)
Developmental Milestones
Fields of development :
gross motor;
vision;
hearing, speech and language;
social, emotional and behavioural

Assessing child development

Variation in the pattern of development

Examples (pictures of developmental milestones)
3.
Pediatric emergencies
The seriously ill child

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Acute respiratory disorders

Dehydration and shock

Cardiac emergencies at birth

Accidents and poisoning
4. Growth and puberty

Variability in human growth patterns

Stages of development

Methods of studying growth and development

Variability in body proportions

Evaluation of osseous maturation

Evaluation of dental development

Secular trends in growth

Development of genital system
5. Nutrition

Nutritional requirements (water, calories, proteins, carbohydrates fat, minerals,
vitamins)

Feeding of infants
o Breast feeding (advantages, contraindications to breast feeding, preparation of
prospective mothers, technique of breast feeding)
o Formula feeding ( technique of artificial feeding, milk formulas, comparison of
human milk and cow milk)
o Solid food introduction during the first year
o First year feeding problems (underfeeding, regurgitation, vomiting, colic,
constipation)
6. Digestive system

Development of the digestive system

Physical examination of the digestive system

Peculiarities of examination of the digestive system in children

Common signs, symptoms and diseases
7. Respiratory disorders

Development of the respiratory system

Physical examination of the respiratory system

Peculiarities of anatomy, physiology and examination of the respiratory system in
children

Common signs, symptoms and diseases
8. Cardiovascular system

Development of the cardiovascular system

Physical examination of the cardiovascular system

Peculiarities of examination of the cardiovasular system in children

Common signs, symptoms and diseases
9. Kidney and urinary tract



development of the urinary system
Physical examination (peculiarities of examination of the urinary system in
children
Comon signs, symptoms and diseases
10. Haematological disorders

Basic mechanisms, classification.

Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, laboratory studies and treatment.
11. Rickets

Functions of chemicals involved in bone formation.

Clinical manifestation of the rickets.

Diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
12. Endocrine and metabolic and neurological disorders
Endocrine and metabolic disorders:

diabetes mellitus.

hypoglycaemia.

hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

parathyroid disorders.

adrenal cortical insufficiency.

Cushing syndrome.

newborn screening.

hyperlipidaemia.
Neurological disorders:

headache.

seizures.
-
epilepsy
-
non-epileptic

cerebral palsy.

Guillain-Barre syndrome.

myasthenia gravis.

ataxia.

cerebrovascular disease.

neural tube defects and hydrocephalus.

neurocutaneous syndromes.

neurodegenerative disorders.
13. Vaccination in children

Classification of vaccines

Contraindications to vaccination

Schedule of vaccination in children

Characteristics of individual vaccines (tuberculosis vaccination, DTP, Hib, Polio)

Side effects of vaccination (adverse events)
Literature:
1. Behrman R., Kliegman R.: “Nelson Essentilas of Pediatrics”
2. Schwartz M.: “Clinical Handbook of Pediatrics”
3. Behrman R., Kliegman R.: “Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics”
4. Lissauer T., Clayden G.:”Illustrated Textbook of Pediatrics”