A paediatrician is a medical doctor who specializes in the care of children. Paediatricians have undergone special training in the health and illnesses of infants, teens and young adults, and the majority of paediatricians are certified by the American Board of Paediatrics after passing a comprehensive exam. Paediatricians provide preventive health care for children in good health and medical care for children who are acutely or chronically ill. They also provide parents with support and advice with issues such as growth and development, safety and prevention, nutrition, and emotional wellness to foster a lifetime of good health. What is Paediatrics?

Paediatrics is the branch of medicine dealing with the health and medical care of infants, children, and adolescents from birth up to the age of 18. The word “paediatrics” means “healer of children”; they are derived from two Greek words: (pais = child) and (iatros = doctor or healer). Paediatrics is a relatively new medical specialty, developing only in the mid-19th century. Abraham Jacobi (1830–1919) is known as the father of paediatrics.

You should begin searching for a paediatrician while still pregnant. Try to meet and establish a relationship with your paediatrician before your child is born. New parents tend to choose their paediatricians during the second trimester of pregnancy, or three to five months before the due date. This gives parents time to make an informed decision without feeling rushed. If you have relocated, your family will also need a new paediatrician. Make finding a new paediatrician a priority so you’re prepared for any unforeseen injuries or illnesses. Choosing a doctor from an unfamiliar area can be challenging, so you may need to meet more than one to find the right fit.

Yes, in fact we strongly encourage parents-to-be to visit the hospitals for a prenatal appointment. This is a great way to be get acquainted with our hospital and our doctors. During this visit, we will answer any questions that you have about our practice or your new child.

Immunization or vaccinations are the processes of giving vaccines to children as well as adults to protect them from specific infectious diseases. Normally when germs enter the body, they produce disease. The body tries to recover by mounting an immune response. This immune response gives protection against the disease. A vaccine is nothing else but whole or part of the disease germ, which has been processed or modified in such a way than it has lost its capacity to produce disease but it can still induce immunity or fighting power by the body when administered in the body. Hence by vaccination one develops immunity without suffering from the disease. Subsequently, if the person is ever exposed to the actual disease, the immunity is already in place and the body fights the germs. Thus no disease occurs.

Vaccines can be in form of drops that have to be put in the mouth like the oral polio vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, or oral typhoid vaccine. They can also be in form of injections that may be given in the thighs or the arms. Earlier one vaccine used to protect against one infection e.g. measles vaccine. However, with now vaccines available for many diseases, it would be difficult to give vaccines at a time for a single disease. Thus, a combination of more than one vaccine like the MMR vaccine (which acts against meals, mumps & rubella) or the DPT vaccine (which acts against diphtheria, pertussis & tetanus) is now available.

Yes. Vaccines are very safe. There are inherent systems in place ensuring the safety of vaccines. Prior to their launch in markets, vaccines are tested both on animals and human volunteers, for any possible adverse effects. Millions of children are safely vaccinated each year.


Don’t babies have natural immunity? Isn’t natural immunity better than vaccine induced immunity?
Mothers’ have protective immunity for various diseases either due to natural infection or due to previous vaccines. Babies may get some temporary immunity from their mothers in the last few months of pregnancy. Immunity can also be transmitted from mom to child also through breast milk. These antibodies from the mother do not last long in the baby leaving the infant vulnerable to disease. Thus, protection in form of vaccines is necessary for the child.

Natural immunity occurs when your child gets a disease due to infection from a germ. Natural immunity may cause a better antibody response but the infection may also cause problems and complications in the child for e.g diphtheria may lead to serious complications in a child that may lead to difficulty in breathing whereas the vaccine may only cause a minor fever.

Vaccines are highly effective. They give protection in 85% to 99% of cases. They greatly reduce risk of serious illness.

Children are vaccinated early because they are susceptible to diseases at a young age, and the consequences of these diseases can be very serious.

Some vaccines give life-long immunity e.g. measles or hepatitis B. Some vaccines may give protection for only a limited time and then would require booster shots to have continued protection e.g. tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis. It's important to keep a record of vaccinations so the doctor knows when your kids are due for a booster.

Most of the vaccines are very safe. Not all the vaccines lead to reactions. Not all the children develop reaction nor does it develop with each dose of vaccine. Child can get pain, redness, swelling at the injection site. Rarely a nodule may form which remains for few weeks especially following DPT. Sometimes, there may be mild to moderate fever, which usually responds to paracetamol. Rarely child can develop fussiness, irritability, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive crying etc. especially after DTP injection.

In rare cases, immunizations can trigger more serious problems, such as seizures or severe allergic reactions which must be reported immediately to the doctor.

Patients with severe reactions to previous immunization should not receive same vaccine again. Patients with severe egg allergies should not be given measles or MMR vaccine. Patients with poor immunity like advanced HIV or AIDS, patients on steroids and those on cancer chemotherapy should be vaccinated only as suggested by the physician as certain vaccines like live vaccines should be avoided in them.

Immunization or a series of shots given to children in different ages to help ward off serious, and potentially fatal

Immunization protects children against certain specific and serious diseases, which otherwise would lead to stress, worry and expense of having a child become very ill and possibly die from a disease that could be prevented by administration of a vaccine.

Immunization protects children against certain specific and serious diseases, which otherwise would lead to stress, worry and expense of having a child become very ill and possibly die from a disease that could be prevented by administration of a vaccine.

If due to some reason there is delay in receiving a vaccine or any dose of vaccines requiring more than one dose, vaccine should be provided as early as possible. Please contact the ASHA in your area and/or ANM to ensure that your child gets the pending vaccines. It is important to understand that in case of delay, there is no need to restart the entire schedule; instead the remaining schedule should be continued as recommended and completed

Immunization is the process whereby a child is protected against an infectious disease by administration of one or more doses of a vaccine, either by injection or by drops in the mouth