Clinical Pediatrics Syllabus

Pediatrics syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Pediatrics in Clinical, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Growth and Development

   3 topics

   • Normal Growth Patterns
     • Physical Growth
     • Cognitive Development
     • Emotional and Social Development
   • Developmental Milestones
     • Gross Motor Skills
     • Fine Motor Skills
     • Language Development
     • Social Skills
   • Growth Monitoring
     • Growth Charts
     • Anthropometric Measurements
     • Nutritional Assessment
2. 2

   Nutrition

   4 topics

   • Breastfeeding
     • Benefits
     • Techniques
     • Common Issues
   • Infant Formula Feeding
     • Types of Formula
     • Preparation and Storage
     • Weaning
   • Complementary Feeding
     • Introduction to Solids
     • Feeding Schedules
     • Nutritional Requirements
   • Nutritional Disorders
     • Malnutrition
     • Obesity
     • Micronutrient Deficiencies
3. 3

   Infectious Diseases

   4 topics

   • Viral Infections
     • Measles
     • Mumps
     • Rubella
     • Influenza
   • Bacterial Infections
     • Pneumonia
     • Meningitis
     • Tuberculosis
     • Pertussis
   • Parasitic Infections
     • Malaria
     • Giardiasis
     • Helminthiasis
   • Immunizations
     • Vaccine Schedule
     • Types of Vaccines
     • Adverse Effects
4. 4

   Common Pediatric Disorders

   4 topics

   • Respiratory Disorders
     • Asthma
     • Bronchiolitis
     • Cystic Fibrosis
   • Gastrointestinal Disorders
     • Gastroenteritis
     • Constipation
     • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
   • Neurological Disorders
     • Epilepsy
     • Cerebral Palsy
     • Headaches
   • Hematologic Disorders
     • Anemia
     • Hemophilia
     • Thalassemia
5. 5

   Genetics and Inherited Disorders

   3 topics

   • Chromosomal Abnormalities
     • Down Syndrome
     • Turner Syndrome
     • Klinefelter Syndrome
   • Single Gene Disorders
     • Cystic Fibrosis
     • Sickle Cell Disease
     • Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
   • Multifactorial Inheritance
     • Congenital Heart Disease
     • Neural Tube Defects
     • Cleft Lip and Palate
6. 6

   Pediatric Emergencies

   4 topics

   • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
     • Basic Life Support
     • Advanced Life Support
     • Post-Resuscitation Care
   • Shock
     • Hypovolemic Shock
     • Septic Shock
     • Cardiogenic Shock
   • Poisoning
     • Common Poisons
     • Management Protocols
     • Prevention
   • Trauma
     • Head Injury
     • Fractures
     • Burns
7. 7

   Neonatology

   4 topics

   • Neonatal Resuscitation
     • Initial Steps
     • Advanced Interventions
     • Post-Resuscitation Care
   • Preterm Infants
     • Complications
     • Nutritional Needs
     • Long-term Outcomes
   • Neonatal Infections
     • Sepsis
     • Meningitis
     • Congenital Infections
   • Congenital Anomalies
     • Cardiac Anomalies
     • Gastrointestinal Anomalies
     • Neurological Anomalies

Pediatrics flashcards for Clinical

21 of 56 cards from the Pediatrics deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the expected pattern of weight change in a healthy term newborn during the first week of life, and when is birth weight regained?

   Newborns lose up to 7-10% of birth weight in the first 3-5 days (mostly fluid), then regain it by 10-14 days of age.

2. By what ages does a healthy infant typically double and triple their birth weight?

   Birth weight roughly doubles by 4-6 months and triples by 12 months.

3. What is the average length gain in the first year of life, and how does length relate to birth length by age 4?

   Length increases about 25 cm in the first year (roughly 50% over birth length). Birth length roughly doubles by 4 years of age.

4. What is the formula for estimating expected weight (kg) in children aged 1-6 years?

   $\text{Weight (kg)} = 2 \times \text{age (years)} + 8$

5. How does head circumference growth proceed in the first year of life?

   Head circumference increases about 2 cm/month for the first 3 months, then slows, totaling roughly 12 cm gain in the first year (from ~35 cm at birth to ~47 cm at 1 year).

6. At what ages do the posterior and anterior fontanelles normally close?

   The posterior fontanelle closes by about 2 months; the anterior fontanelle closes between 9 and 18 months (typically ~18 months).

7. List the key gross motor milestones at 6, 9, and 12 months.

   6 months: sits with support/rolls over; 9 months: sits without support and crawls; 12 months: stands alone and takes first steps (walks).

8. At what age should a child achieve a social smile, and what does its absence suggest?

   A social smile appears by about 6-8 weeks (2 months). Its absence beyond this age is an early red flag for visual, neurological, or social/developmental problems.

9. What are the expected language milestones at 12 months and 24 months?

   12 months: says 1-3 words with meaning (e.g., mama/dada specific); 24 months: uses 2-word phrases and has a vocabulary of ~50 words, ~50% intelligible to strangers.

10. What fine motor milestone characterizes a 9-month-old versus a 12-month-old?

    9 months: immature pincer grasp; 12 months: mature (neat) pincer grasp and can release objects voluntarily.

11. Define a developmental red flag related to walking, and by what age is failure to walk considered delayed?

    Failure to walk independently by 18 months is a red flag warranting evaluation (e.g., for cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or global delay).

12. What growth chart parameter is most sensitive for detecting acute malnutrition versus chronic malnutrition?

    Weight-for-height (wasting) reflects acute malnutrition; height/length-for-age (stunting) reflects chronic malnutrition.

13. How is Body Mass Index calculated, and how is childhood obesity defined by percentile?

    $\text{BMI} = \frac{\text{weight (kg)}}{[\text{height (m)}]^{2}}$. In children, overweight is BMI $\geq$ 85th percentile and obesity is BMI $\geq$ 95th percentile for age and sex.

14. In growth monitoring, what does 'crossing percentile lines' downward on a growth chart indicate?

    Crossing two or more major percentile lines downward suggests faltering growth (failure to thrive) and warrants evaluation; steady tracking along a percentile is reassuring.

15. What is mid-parental height and how is target height estimated for a boy and a girl?

    Boy: $\frac{\text{father} + (\text{mother} + 13\,\text{cm})}{2}$; Girl: $\frac{(\text{father} - 13\,\text{cm}) + \text{mother}}{2}$ (heights in cm).

16. List the main immunological and nutritional advantages of breast milk over formula.

    Provides secretory IgA, lactoferrin, lysozyme, and leukocytes; optimal digestibility; contains long-chain PUFAs for brain development; reduces infections, necrotizing enterocolitis, allergy, and later obesity; promotes bonding.

17. What is colostrum and what makes it distinct from mature breast milk?

    Colostrum is the first milk (days 1-5), rich in protein, secretory IgA, and white cells but lower in fat and lactose; it provides passive immunity and acts as a laxative to clear meconium.

18. Which vitamin is deficient in exclusively breastfed infants, and what supplementation is recommended?

    Vitamin D is low in breast milk; exclusively breastfed infants should receive 400 IU/day of vitamin D. (Vitamin K is also given at birth to prevent hemorrhagic disease.)

19. What are contraindications to breastfeeding?

    Galactosemia in the infant; maternal HIV (in resource-rich settings); active untreated tuberculosis; maternal use of certain drugs/chemotherapy/radioactive isotopes; active herpetic lesions on the breast; maternal HTLV-1.

20. How does the protein content of standard cow's-milk infant formula compare to breast milk, and why is unmodified cow's milk unsuitable before 12 months?

    Formula is modified to reduce cow's-milk protein and adjust the casein:whey ratio. Unmodified cow's milk before 12 months has excess protein and solute load, too little iron and vitamin C, and can cause occult GI blood loss and iron deficiency.

21. What is the standard caloric density of prepared term infant formula and breast milk?

    Both provide approximately 20 kcal/oz, or about $0.67\,\text{kcal/mL}$ (67 kcal per 100 mL).

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