Pediatrics
Growth and development
Know the milestones of physical and psychomotor development, growth charts, and the schedule of preventive examinations. Understand nutrition: breastfeeding principles, complementary feeding timing, and vitamin D prophylaxis.
Common conditions
High-yield topics: acute respiratory infections and bronchiolitis, pneumonia in children, otitis media, gastroenteritis and dehydration, febrile seizures, and childhood exanthems (measles, rubella, scarlet fever, chickenpox). Know the signs of dehydration and the principles of oral rehydration.
Vaccination
Understand the national immunization schedule, contraindications, and the management of adverse events following immunization. Recognize that most mild illness is not a contraindication.
Traps
- Confusing febrile seizures (usually benign, age-related) with epilepsy.
- Misjudging dehydration severity; the trap is underestimating in infants.
- Applying adult drug dosing to children - always weight-based.
Rule of thumb
In a child, weight-based dosing and hydration status are central. If a child is lethargic, has poor perfusion, or reduced urine output, treat as significant dehydration requiring urgent care.
Worked example
A 1-year-old with diarrhea, sunken eyes, and reduced urine output: this is moderate-to-severe dehydration. The correct answer is urgent rehydration (oral if tolerated, IV if severe) and reassessment - not sending home with advice alone.