Infectious Diseases and HIV Conference

Pediatric infectious diseases, therefore, all refer to any kind of infection that can have an impact on infants, children, and adolescents. Because the child's immune system has not fully developed, children are so easily infected and sometimes differ in condition from adults.

Some common infections include respiratory infections, such as influenza or respiratory syncytial virus; gastrointestinal infections, like rotavirus; and others, which include chickenpox, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and ear infections.

The majority of infectious disease transmission among children is still done within communities like schools and daycare centers where the pathogen can easily spread around due to close contact. Infections are acquired through droplets, surfaces, and direct contact with other children.

The risk and severity of infection will depend on age, nutritional status, and current and chronic medical conditions. Preventive measures are an important component of pediatric infectious disease management.

Vaccination has guarded children against many serious diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, and whooping cough. Immunization schedules can even ensure that necessary protection is achieved at the right time against most of these diseases and booster shots ensure long-lasting immunity.

Over and above these vaccinations, good hygiene, more frequent hand washing, and keeping the child home when ill all help prevent infections. Supportive care with medication or other treatments to alleviate symptoms can form part of the treatment for children suffering from infectious diseases, but it would depend on the cause of the infections.

Antibiotic medications are used to kill pathogenic bacteria, but with most bacterial infections, antibiotics should be used judiciously in pediatric populations because excessive use tends to worsen the problem of resistance.

This session will be an intense expose to pediatric infectious diseases with a focus on the most common childhood infections, prevention strategies, vaccination programs, and challenges associated with treating young patients.

The attendees will be educated about the impact that infectious diseases have on children's health, with new approaches that pediatricians are applying in the management of the children.