Pediatrics Flashcards
What is the general pathophysiology of childhood illnesses?
Easy onset: fragile and immature organs, pathogenic evils enter easily
Rapid transformation: disease progression and changes occur quickly
Rapid recovery
Which organs are more susceptible to disease in children?
Because children’s bodies are immature and therefore inherently vulnerable, they are susceptible to diseases that affect:
the lungs (colds, coughs, allergies and asthma)
the spleen (such as colic, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, and stomach aches)
Why is there an easy onset of disease in children?
Easy onset: Children become sick easily. The skin is tender and delicate so pathogens can easily enter and cause disease
What is the LUs role in there being an easy onset of disease in children?
Lung is delicate and lung qi is immature.
Children are predisposed to catch cold, develop coughs, fevers, sore throats, etc.
Asthma more prevalent in childhood
What is the SP’s role in there being an easy onset of disease in children?
Spleen Qi is insufficient.
The spleen in children is ‘immature’ and constitutionally weak.
Children are predisposed to have digestive problem, manifest as colic in infancy, indigestion, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting.
Unhealthy diet in modern day further contributes to spleen deficiency.
What is the KD’s role in the development of illness in children?
With the demands of growth, kidneys are tipped toward deficiency
Growth of bone, marrow, hair, and teeth is related to kidney function.
Some developmental diosrders in children are caused by kidney insufficiency.
What is the LV’s role in childhood illnesses?
Liver yin is insufficient, and liver yang excess–tend to hyperactivity.
Seizures
Rapid changes in mood
Prone to liver yang rising (ADHD)
Liver is wood organ; most of childhood is the “wood” phase—makes liver vulnerable
Which HT pattern is seen in children?
Heart blood deficiency:
Spirit becomes easily unsettled.
Rapid Transformation: Children’s diseases change quickly.
Why?
Once the pathogen enters, because of the delicate Qi and fluid balance, “young yang and young yin,” disease processes undergo easy and rapid transformation from
cold to heat syndromes
excess to deficiency syndromes
deficiency to excess syndromes
or even the simultaneous exhaustion of both yin and yang.
Why do children tend to recover quickly?
With pure yang (vigorous Qi) children’s illnesses respond quickly to proper treatment.
Children tend to recover rapidly from illnesses.
What do veins in the Yintang area of children represent?
Shan Gen, root of mountain, is the area at the root of the bridge of the nose between two eyes (below YT).
Greenish veins visible on the face indicate week spleen in infants and small children. The more prominent the vein, the weaker is the spleen.
Veins with bluish tinge indicate kidney involvement, possibility kidney weakness in constitution.
