ENWhat is pediatric endocrinology?
Endocrinology is the science of hormones. Hormones ensure that all organs necessary for normal growth, development and survival of a person work harmoniously with each other. Each of them is secreted from its own unique glands. Conditions called endocrine diseases occur as a result of these glands not developing, not forming at all, working less than necessary, working too much, or working irregularly. Different types of hormones control reproduction, metabolism, growth and development. Hormones also control our response to our environment and help provide the appropriate amount of energy and nutrients necessary for our bodys functions.
Pediatric Endocrinology specialist mainly deals with hormonal disorders that occur during childhood and adolescence (0-19 years). It monitors the healthy growth of the child, the emergence of puberty in its normal time and its healthy progress, and its safe transition to adulthood. It deals with the diagnosis and treatment of children and young people with hormonal disorders from birth to the end of 18 years of age.
What type of medical training do pediatric endocrinologists receive?
After completing the six-year Faculty of Medicine, they complete the 4 or 5-year Child Health and Diseases specialization program. They then spend three years to learn and gain experience in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of hormonal diseases (Child Endocrinology masters degree). In total, it takes more than 13 years to train a Pediatric endocrinologist.
What are the most common endocrine diseases and disorders in childhood and adolescence?
Short stature
It follows healthy growth from birth. It monitors children born with low birth weight and short birth length and supports them to catch up with their healthy peers. Examines and treats disorders that occur during growth stages. Short stature may be familial or structural, or it may be a reflection of hormonal deficiencies or another disease. Pediatric Endocrinology examines and treats all possibilities that cause the child to remain short.
If short stature is due to growth hormone deficiency, it should be treated without delay. Wasting time may result in less height gain. In fact, young people whose growth plate has closed may have completely lost their chance of growth hormone treatment.
Tall Boy; Children who are clearly taller than their peers should also be monitored, as well as children who are short.
Early Puberty
Although there are individual differences, precocity in Turkish children begins between the ages of 11-12 for girls and between the ages of 12-13 for boys. Although puberty sometimes begins at this age, puberty can be completed rapidly within 12-18 months, and this is considered rapidly progressing puberty. In terms of health, if there is a disease that requires revealing and treating the condition that causes early puberty, it should be treated.
If signs of puberty are not observed in girls and boys at the age of 14, it should be considered as Delayed Puberty and the underlying cause should be investigated.
The underlying cause of other problems seen during adolescence is usually hormonal. For this reason, the Pediatric Endocrine specialist deals with excessive hair growth in adolescence, breast problems, all kinds of menstrual problems of girls, and Polycystic Ovary (until they turn 18 years old).
Hypothyroidism/Hyperthyroidism
Hypothyroidism, commonly known as goiter, is defined as the thyroid gland producing less or no hormones than it should. Thyroid hormone is a very important hormone that has effects such as intelligence development, height growth, bone development and acceleration of metabolism.
The condition resulting from the production of more thyroid hormone than normal and its release into the blood is called hyperthyroidism. Pediatric Endocrinologists also receive training to treat thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, and enlarged thyroid tissue (goiter). They monitor all children who have a family history of Thyroid or Goiter.
Problems of Sexual Differentiation
It is a developmental disorder in which the babys gender cannot be determined as a girl or a boy at first glance when it is born. It is noticed by the Newborn or Pediatrician in children born in the hospital. However, it may be overlooked or become obvious later.
This is important if the eggs are not observed in the sac in boys, they do not urinate from the tip of the penis, or the penis is observed to be very small. In girls, if a very small urinary tract opening or small swelling is observed, especially in both groins, it is evaluated by a Pediatric Endocrine specialist before surgery.
Childhood Diabetes (Type 1 Diabetes)
It can occur at any age, from the neonatal period to young adulthood. Delay in treatment causes symptoms to progress to coma and death. Treatment is possible for life and with insulin alone. These children and young people should be treated and closely monitored by a Pediatric Endocrine specialist until they become young adults.
Type 2 diabetes seen in childhood is also treated and closely monitored by a Pediatric Endocrine specialist.
Obesity
Energy taken in excess or not spent enough, even in childhood, is stored in the body and causes obesity. Although this excess energy accounts for the majority of childhood obesity, sometimes a child may become prone to weight gain due to a hormonal disease that causes excess weight, or some genetic diseases that are congenital and include several diseases.
He is a Pediatric Endocrine specialist who investigates the underlying cause of obesity, treats it when treatment is required, and monitors the negativities caused by obesity itself.
Rickets / Bone Health: Insufficient intake of vitamin D or insufficient bone mineralization due to congenital metabolic diseases of vitamin D causes the disease called rickets. Rickets, osteoporosis and other metabolic diseases of bone are among the areas of interest of pediatric endocrinology.
Hormones released from the Adrenal Gland: Affect the heart, arterial blood pressure (endocrine-induced hypertension), stress/excitement tolerance, gender and reproduction. With congenital or acquired adrenal gland hormone diseases in childhood, Ç. Endocrinologists are interested.