Social Pediatrics (PEK_016)
About Study Course
Objective
To promote the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and the development of practical skills and attitudes necessary for a public health specialist working with children.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, pathological physiology, internal diseases and State health care organisation.
Learning outcomes
To assess the child’s growth and development; know the factors affecting the child’s health; describe the demographic situation in Latvia; describe the principles of health promotion and the features of personality formation in children, the factors affecting it; to know the principles of feeding a child and health problems related to nutrition; describe children with special needs and the most common health problems at different ages; to have a good knowledge of children’s infectious diseases and prevention thereof, the influence of social and environmental factors on the child.
To assess demographic indicators, evaluate infant and child mortality rates, evaluate natural population growth rates, evaluate health-related factors; evaluate the data characterising the child’s health, establish contact with the child, their parents; listening and inquiry skills, find out the anamnesis of life, family, illness from children of different ages and their relatives; formulate the problem and find solutions thereto; find out the anamnesis of the child’s growth and development; practically perform anthropometric measurements, evaluate the obtained results and compare them with standard tables; evaluate the child’s psychomotor development and compare it with the Denver scale; determine and evaluate gender development in case of growth and development disorders – establish an observation and rehabilitation plan.
To organise care for a child with health problems (including children with special needs), find out possible risk factors and evaluate them; recognise the most common diseases; organise care for children with inherited and congenital pathologies; prepare a follow-up care plan; explain to the parents the processes taking place in the child’s body, obtain data and evaluate the child’s growth and development, feeding at different ages: find out anamnesis data about the child’s previous feeding; evaluate the child’s feeding in the past and now; evaluate the effectiveness of feeding; give advice to the parents; create a plan of preventive measures, including in case of various infectious diseases; to have good knowledge of the national immunisation programme, the vaccination calendar for children and adolescents, to be able to justify the necessity and safety of vaccination, to be able to justify it to opponents of vaccination.
To be able to assess the possible risk of abuse, identify and recognise an abused child; determine the type of abuse; create a sense of security for the child; to organise individual assistance for abused children and adolescents; organise an individual assistance plan for abused children and adolescents.
