61 Best Pediatricians/Child Specialists in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi

A brief intro to Pediatricians

Who is a pediatrician?

A pediatrician or a child specialist (بچوں کا ڈاکٹر) is a healthcare provider who deals specifically with medical problems faced by children. They look after the mental, physical and behavioral wellbeing of children all the way from birth till adulthood. Pediatricians are specially trained to look after infants and babies who have unique medical needs, serious illnesses as well as minor health issues.

Children have different physical and emotional needs, in comparison to adults, which is why their medical needs are not fulfilled by doctors who primarily treat adults. In fact, in certain cases, pediatric care may begin even before conception and throughout pregnancy.

When should you see a pediatrician?

Frequent visits to a child specialist are expected soon after the birth of a baby—to schedule circumcisions and postnatal checkups. These visits can be for health/wellness check-ups, developmental milestones and immunizations. Children are expected to get six checkups a year until the age of 2. These visits become less frequent as the child grows older, and will be reduced to just one a year after the child becomes 5.

Visits to the pediatrician (بچوں کا ڈاکٹر) are an opportunity for the caregivers and parents to ask pertinent questions regarding the health of their child, and to clear any ambiguities about their health.

What are the main areas of concern of a pediatrician?

Pediatricians (بچوں کا ڈاکٹر) track the health of the baby, as well as their growth, developmental milestones, emotional development, physical wellbeing, eating habits, vaccination history and sleeping habits. Primary care pediatricians also deal with injuries in children, including fractures and dislocations. They treat and manage acute and chronic infections in children and prescribe medication such as painkillers and antibiotics.

Pediatric specialists, on the other hand, deal with specific systems and have more training and knowledge in dealing with a special organ system.

What are the most common pediatric diseases in Pakistan?

Studies show that most common infectious diseases are water borne, and are more prevalent due to lack of awareness of risk factors in the public. Properly educating the parents regarding the risk factors of such diseases can help save infants from the severity of disease and lower the infant mortality rate.

How to become a pediatrician in Pakistan?

Pediatricians or child specialists (بچوں کا ڈاکٹر) are qualified after five years of basic training in medicine and surgery, followed by a year of house-job or internship. Thereafter, they do their residency training for up to four years and gain the membership of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan. Fellowship in specialty training is opted for by some pediatricians. Pediatricians are constantly updating themselves on proper international protocols and attend conferences regarding disease management throughout the course of their career.

What kinds of pediatricians are there?

Most child specialists (بچوں کا ڈاکٹر) work as primary caregivers. These are the ones you go to for regular check-ups and minor problems. They diagnose a wide range of health problems and offer management of common diseases. Pediatricians who specialize in a specific system—such as cardiology, are known as pediatric subspecialists. Your primary pediatrician can refer you to a subspecialist if your child is facing chronic issues of a particular system.

• Pediatric cardiologist: deal with the illnesses of heart in children. They work closely with pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons in managing treatment strategies.
• Pediatric pulmonologists: diagnose and deal with problems of lungs in children.
• Pediatric nephrologists: treat and manage the problems of kidneys in children.
• Pediatric neurologists: manage and diagnose neurological disorders in the children that are often not very evident. Such disorders can be more chronic in nature, and require specialist care.
• Neonatal pediatricians: provide care to babies immediately before, during and after birth.
• Pediatric oncologists: deal with cancers in children. They also work closely with surgeons to help treat certain tumors and make treatment plans to suit the needs of the patient.

What are pediatricians called in Pakistan?

• Child doctors
• Child specialist
• Pediatricians
• Pediatric specialist
• بچوں کا ماہر
• بچوں کا ڈاکٹر