by Hannah Farrell
Our expert witnesses in paediatrics specialise in the clinical care of children and young people. They are experts in child development and childhood illnesses, in addition to performing medical procedures on the young.
Our experts in paediatrics have a profound knowledge of managing non-accidental injuries and safeguarding issues; they are adept at distinguishing between pathology of disease and injuries inflicted through trauma.
With a strong understanding of appropriate standards of care and NICE Guidelines, in addition to a thorough knowledge of treatment pathways, our expert witnesses in paediatrics can advise on causation, breach of duty, current condition, and prognosis in children and young people with injuries, developmental conditions, and congenital disease.
See below for a brief overview on paediatric medicine and surgery. Alternatively, contact an expert witness in paediatrics to see how they can help.
What is Paediatrics?
Paediatric medicine specialises in the care of children and young people from birth to the age of 16. Paediatric care can be divided into four distinct specialties:
- General paediatrics – general care of all children and young people;
- Neonatology – specialist care of newborn babies, often based within intensive care units;
- Community paediatrics – as the name suggests, based within the community, caring for children and young people with developmental, behavioural, social, and physical difficulties; and
- Paediatric cardiology – caring for children and young people, even before birth, with cardiac conditions including atrial septal defect, congenital heart disease, Marfan’s syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus, to name but a few.
Common childhood illnesses include glue ear, bronchiolitis, conjunctivitis, hand, foot and mouth disease, croup, scarlet fever, chicken pox, and whooping cough.
Paediatric conditions requiring surgical intervention include:
- Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
- Inguinal hernia
- Undescended testis
- Phimosis
- Intussusception
- Acute appendicitis
- Swallowed foreign body
- Torsion of testis
Paediatric emergencies include:
- Anaphylaxis
- Acute epiglottitis
- Choking
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Hypoglycaemia
- Hyponatraemia
- Raised intracranial pressure
- Meningitis
- Asthma attack
- Status epilepticus