Pediatrics: a comprehensive approach from its origins to present day

Abstract

The term pediatrics comes from the Greek paidos (child) and iatrike (medicine). Initially, pediatrics was described as one of the independent branches of medicine in Central Europe during the second half of the 19th century. It progressively became independent from areas such as obstetrics and internal medicine. It was first described in 1722 in the treatise Paedojatreja práctica by the professor of anatomy and medical theory Theodor Zwinger of the University of Basel. The oldest known works on diseases in the pediatric population date back to 2100 B.C., in which the magical-religious component was predominant (1). In Colombia, its first reports begin in 1868 with the start of the period called the "Second stage of Colombian medicine". After the foundation of the Universidad de los Estados Unidos de Colombia in Bogotá. The subject of obstetrics and special pathology of women and children was implemented by physician and President Santos Acosta. Subsequently, the subjects of obstetrics and special pathology of women were separated, creating the optional subject of childhood pathology and hygiene. In 1891, José Ignacio Barberi, a Bogotá native graduated from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in 1881, became the first specialist to teach the subject Children's medicine. In 1911, the specialization was born in the department of Antioquia with the subject of pediatrics at University of Antioquia. The Colombian Society of Pediatrics was founded on July 27, 1917, which advocates for the well-being of children and adolescents, their families and society, to develop pediatrics as a human discipline (2,3).