pediatrics

American  

[pee-dee-a-triks, ped-ee-] / ˌpi diˈæ trɪks, ˌpɛd i- /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the branch of medicine concerned with the development, care, and diseases of babies and children.

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pediatrics British  

/ ˌpiːdɪˈætrɪks /

noun

1. the US spelling of paediatrics

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pediatrics Scientific  

/ pē′dē-ăt′rĭks /

1. The branch of medicine that deals with the care of infants and children.

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pediatrics Cultural  

1. The branch of medicine devoted to the study and care of children.

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Other Word Forms

• pediatric adjective

Etymology

Origin of pediatrics

First recorded in 1880–85; ped- ¹, + -iatrics

Explanation

If you're taking a little kid to the doctor, look for a sign that says pediatrics. Physicians who treat children and babies specialize in pediatrics. Different branches of medicine focus on different groups of people or specific illnesses. While pediatrics is all about young people from birth to their teens, geriatrics, for example, focuses on elderly people. A medical student who specializes in pediatrics will eventually be a pediatrician, or children's doctor. The root of pediatrics is the Greek word for "child," pais.

Example Sentences

Additional authors came from the Yale School of Medicine departments of pediatrics and neuroscience and the Yale Child Study Center.

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026

At UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, according to reporting based on interviews with faculty members, more than 50% of students failed basic tests on family medicine, pediatrics and emergency medicine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Claire McCarthy, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, advises parents to spread their compliments, love and cheerleading evenly among their children to avoid resentments or emotional fallout later in life.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 3, 2025

Since 2004, the Ballards, both professors emeriti of pediatrics at UC San Francisco, have been piecing together ways to restore the creek, one small project at a time.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

The pediatrics chief already knew of Farmer’s work and found it remarkable.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French