American Board of Pediatrics 111 Silver Cedar Court Chapel Hill, NC 27514-1651 Tel: (919) 929-0461 www.abp.org

A physician specializing in Pediatrics is concerned with the physical, emotional, and social health of children from birth to young adulthood. Care encompasses a broad spectrum of health services ranging from preventive healthcare to the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic diseases. The Pediatrician deals with biological, social and environmental influences on the developing child, and with the impact of disease and dysfunction on development.

Training Required: Three years

Subspecialties for Pediatrics

Certification in one of the following subspecialties requires additional training and examination.

• Adolescent Medicine
  A Pediatrician who specializes in Adolescent Medicine is a multidisciplinary healthcare specialist trained in the unique physical, psychological and social characteristics of adolescents, their healthcare problems and needs.
  
  
• Child Abuse Pediatrics
  A Child Abuse Pediatrician serves as a resource to children, families and communities by accurately diagnosing abuse; consulting with community agencies on child safety; providing expertise in courts of law; treating consequences of abuse and neglect; directing child abuse and neglect prevention programs and participating on multidisciplinary teams investigating; and managing child abuse cases.
  
  
• Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
  A Pediatrician who specializes in Developmental-Behavorial Pediatrics possesses special skills, training and experience to foster understanding and promotion of optimal development of children and families through research, education, clinical care and advocacy efforts. This physician assists in the prevention, diagnosis and management of developmental difficulties and problematic behaviors in children and in the family dysfunctions that compromise children’s development.
  
  
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine
  These physicians have special knowledge and skills to prevent and relieve the suffering experienced by patients with life-limiting illnesses. This specialist works with an interdisciplinary hospice or palliative care team to maximize quality of life while addressing the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of both patient and family throughout the course of the disease, including through the dying process and subsequent family grieving. This care can occur within or outside of a formal hospice or palliative care team. This specialist has expertise in the assessment of patients with advanced disease and catastrophic injury; the relief of distressing symptoms; the coordination of interdisciplinary patient and family-centered care in diverse settings; the use of specialized care systems including hospice; the management of the imminently dying patient; and legal and ethical decision making in end-of-life care.
  
  
• Medical Toxicology
  A Medical Toxicologist focuses on the prevention, evaluation, treatment and monitoring of injury and illness from exposures to drugs and chemicals, as well as biological and radiological agents. These specialists care for people in clinical, academic, governmental and public health settings, and provide poison control center leadership. Important areas of Medical Toxicology include acute drug poisoning; adverse drug events; drug abuse, addiction and withdrawal; chemicals and hazardous materials; terrorism preparedness; venomous bites and stings; and environmental and workplace exposures.
  
  
• Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
  A Pediatrician specializing in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine acts as the principal care provider for sick newborn infants. This specialist’s clinical expertise is used for direct patient care and for consulting with obstetrical colleagues to plan for the care of mothers who have high-risk pregnancies.
  
  
• Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
  A Pediatrician who specializes in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities treats children having developmental delays, or learning disorders including those associated with visual and hearing impairment, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, autism and other chronic neurologic conditions. This specialist provides medical consultation and education and assumes leadership in the interdisciplinary management of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. They may also focus on the early identification and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disabilities in infants and young children as well as on changes that occur as the child with developmental disabilities grows.
  
  
• Pediatric Cardiology
  A Pediatric Cardiologist provides comprehensive care to patients with cardiovascular problems. This specialist is skilled in selecting, performing and evaluating the structural and functional assessment of the heart and blood vessels, and the clinical evaluation of cardiovascular disease.
  
  
• Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
  A Pediatrician who specializes in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine is expert in advanced life support for children from the term or near-term neonate to the adolescent. This competence extends to the critical care management of life-threatening organ system failure from any cause in both medical and surgical patients, and to the support of vital physiological functions. This specialist may have administrative responsibilities for intensive care units and also facilitates patient care among other specialists.
  
  
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  A Pediatrician specializing in Pediatric Emergency Medicine has special qualifications to manage emergencies in infants and children.
  
  
• Pediatric Endocrinology
  A Pediatrician wih specialization in Pediatric Endocrinology provides expert care to infants, children and adolescents who have diseases that result from an abnormality in the endocrine glands (glands which secrete hormones). These diseases include diabetes mellitus, growth failure, unusual size for age, early or late pubertal development, birth defects, the genital region and disorders of the thyroid, the adrenal and pituitary glands.
  
  
• Pediatric Gastroenterology
  A Pediatrician specializing in Pediatric Gastroenterology specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive systems of infants, children and adolescents. The Pediatric Gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer and jaundice and performs complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures using lighted scopes to see internal organs.
  
  
• Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
  A Pediatrician who specializes in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology is trained in the combination of pediatrics, hematology and oncology to recognize and manage pediatric blood disorders and cancerous diseases.
  
  
• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  A Pediatrician who specializes in Pediatric Infectious Diseases cares for children through the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. This specialist can apply specific knowledge to affect a better outcome for pediatric infections with complicated courses, underlying diseases that predispose to unusual or severe infections, unclear diagnoses, uncommon diseases, and complex or investigational treatments.
  
  
• Pediatric Nephrology
  A Pediatrician with special expertise in Pediatric Nephrology deals with the normal and abnormal development and maturation of the kidney and urinary tract; the mechanisms by which the kidney can be damaged, the evaluation and treatment of renal diseases, fluid and electrolyte abnormalities, hypertension and renal replacement therapy.
  
  
• Pediatric Pulmonology
  A Pediatrician specializing in Pediatric Pulmonology is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of all respiratory diseases affecting infants, children and young adults. This specialist is knowledgeable about the growth and development of the lung, assessment of respiratory function in infants and children, and experienced in a variety of invasive and noninvasive diagnostic techniques.
  
  
• Pediatric Rheumatology
  A Pediatrician who specializes in Pediatric Rheumatology treats diseases of joints, muscle, bones and tendons. A pediatric rheumatologist diagnoses and treats arthritis, back pain, muscle strains, common athletic injuries and “collagen” diseases.
  
  
• Pediatric Transplant Hepatology
  The Pediatrician who specializes in Transplant Hepatology possesses the special knowledge, skill and expertise required of Pediatric Gastroenterologists to care for patients prior to and following hepatic transplantation. Selection of appropriate recipients requires assessment by a team having experience in evaluating the severity and prognosis of patients with liver disease.
  
  
• Sleep Medicine
  A Pediatrician with demonstrated expertise in the diagnosis and management of clinical conditions that occur during sleep, that disturb sleep, or that are affected by disturbances in the wake-sleep cycle. This specialist is skilled in the analysis and interpretation of comprehensive polysomnography, and well-versed in emerging research and management of a sleep laboratory.
  
  
• Sports Medicine
  A physician specializing in Sports Medicine is responsible for continuous care related to the enhancement of health and fitness as well as the prevention and management of injury and illness. This specialist possesses knowledge and experience in the promotion of wellness and the prevention of injury from many areas of medicine such as exercise physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, psychology, physical rehabilitation, epidemiology, physical evaluation and injuries. It is the goal of a Sports Medicine specialist to improve the healthcare of the individual engaged in physical exercise.
  

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