General Paediatrics (Children’s Diseases)

General paediatrics is the medical care of babies, children and adolescents up to about 18 years. A paediatrician diagnoses and treats common childhood illnesses, monitors growth and development, gives vaccinations and decides when a child needs a subspecialist such as a paediatric cardiologist or neurologist.

Children's illnesses often change quickly, for better or worse, and most are best handled by a doctor who knows the child and can see them again the next day. A distant clinic has a role mainly in second opinions and in planned investigations for problems that have not been explained.

Conditions this service looks after

• Recurrent fevers, coughs, ear and throat infections
• Asthma, wheeze and allergies including eczema and food allergy
• Poor weight gain, short stature and early or late puberty
• Chronic abdominal pain, constipation, reflux and coeliac disease
• Urinary tract infections and bedwetting
• Anaemia and vitamin deficiencies
• Developmental delay, speech delay and concerns about attention or autism
• Headaches, fainting and seizures
• Heart murmurs
• Childhood obesity

Tests you may be offered

• Growth and developmental assessment: Height, weight, head size and milestones compared with age standards.
• Blood and urine tests: Blood count, inflammatory markers, iron, thyroid, coeliac screen and urine culture as indicated.
• Allergy tests: Skin prick or specific IgE tests interpreted alongside the history; lung function from about age 5 to 6.
• Ultrasound and X-ray: Used sparingly, with ultrasound preferred to avoid radiation.
• Hearing and vision tests: Essential in speech delay and school difficulties.
• ECG, echocardiogram or EEG: Requested through the relevant subspecialist when a murmur, fainting or seizures need clarification.

Treatments available

• Treatment of acute infections: Most are viral and need fluids and fever control. Antibiotics are reserved for bacterial infections.
• Asthma and allergy plans: Inhalers with spacers, written action plans, emollients and adrenaline pens where needed.
• Nutritional treatment: Iron and vitamin D replacement and dietitian support for poor growth or obesity.
• Constipation and bedwetting programmes: Laxatives, toileting routines, alarms and medication.
• Vaccination: Routine schedule and catch-up doses.
• Referral and coordination: To paediatric subspecialists, therapists and surgeons.

When to ask for a specialist opinion

• A symptom has lasted weeks without a clear explanation
• Your child is crossing centile lines for weight or height
• Infections are unusually frequent, severe or slow to clear
• You are concerned about development, behaviour or learning
• You want a second opinion on a diagnosis or a proposed long-term treatment

Travelling to Türkiye for this care

A visit can offer a thorough assessment of a long-running, non-urgent problem: a paediatrician's review, targeted tests and subspecialist opinions arranged over 3 to 5 days, ending with a written summary for your own doctor. Bring the vaccination record, growth data and previous results. It cannot replace a local paediatrician for acute illnesses, vaccinations and chronic conditions such as asthma or epilepsy that need regular adjustment. Never fly with a child who is acutely unwell, short of breath, dehydrated or has an unexplained rash with fever. Use local emergency care.

Send your reports, scans and a short history and a Clinic-Y coordinator replies within 24 hours with suitable teams and written, all-inclusive proposals side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

Frequently Asked Questions