Introduction to child care

Child is a young human being who has not reache the age of discretion or maturation. This literally childhood is the period from the birth until the achieves full maturation: physically, mentally and socially. the period of childhood ends with the initiation o adulthood period.
The branch of medicine dealing with children is called paediatrics. The term paediatrics is derived from the Greek words "paidos", "iatrike" and "ics". The word "paidos" means a child, iatrike" means treatment and "ics" means science. The paediatrics means the science of child care and treatment of childhood diseases. Since the intrauterine health of child greatly affects his extrauterine health, the intrauterine period of the child is also included in paediatrics. thus, broadly speaking the term paediatrics would mean the study of the child from conception to adolescence.

The specialist doctor who treats children is called paediatrician. The intra uterine health of the child is usually taken care by the obstetrician andmidwife through regular antenatal care.
Paediatric nursing is the branch of nursing that is concerned with the care of children not only during illness but also during health by providng preventive care to them.