pédiatres

Pédiatres (pediatricians) are doctors specializing in the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. Their scope generally includes patients from birth through late adolescence, with some guidelines extending care to early adulthood in certain settings. The discipline emphasizes growth, development, preventive care, and family-centered medicine.

Key duties include well-child visits, immunization, developmental screening, diagnosis and treatment of acute illnesses, management of chronic conditions, nutrition counseling, injury prevention, and mental health support.

Training and certification: After earning a medical degree, physicians complete a pediatrics residency (length varies by country: typically 3-4 years). They may pursue subspecialty fellowships (e.g., pediatric cardiology, neonatology, endocrinology). In many countries, board certification or specialty recognition is required to practice as a pediatrician.

Work settings: pediatricians work in outpatient clinics, hospitals, hospitals' wards, emergency departments; they often collaborate with nurses, nurse practitioners, psychologists, social workers, and other specialists.

Global variations: definitions of the age range and scope can vary; in some health systems, care extends into early adulthood; in others, pediatrics ends at 18; neonatology is a subspecialty focusing on newborns.