Pediatrics

medicine · children · doctors

Doctors who specialize. A pediatrician is a doctor who has special training to care for babies, toddlers, children, and teenagers instead of just adults.

Where they work. Pediatricians work in many places like clinics, research centers, hospitals, and special children's hospitals where they help young patients get healthy.

The name's meaning. The word pediatrics comes from two ancient Greek words that together mean 'healer of children', so it's literally named after what these doctors do.

Ages they treat. Most countries say pediatricians care for kids until age 18, but in the United States, many doctors recommend pediatric care through age 21 or sometimes even 26.

Growing and changing. Around the world, the age limits for pediatric care have been going up over time as people recognize that young adults still need this specialized care.