Relaunch of The Medical City Center for Developmental Pediatrics

As a Physical Therapist, I am familiar with developmental milestones since I have handled such cases back in internship. Some kids show milestones at an early age, some are late, and tt becomes worrisome when the child seems to be not be showing developments at all. It's even tougher for their parents to accept it, however, early detection can be crucial to increasing the chances of providing remedies.

Here's a true story.  First-time mom Cielo had a feeling that her baby had a developmental delay. She knew the developmental milestones -- or things most children can do by a certain age -- by heart. At nine months, a baby must be able to make a lot of different sounds like "mamamama" and "bababababa" and must understand "no." Cielo said her son does not make any sound at all at 11 months.

When she relayed her concern to her child's pediatrician, Cielo was advised to bring her child to a center that provides developmental screening.

A friend referred her to The Medical City Center for Developmental Pediatrics (TMC-CDP). The center is the first in the Philippines to offer routine developmental screening and monitoring for children 0 to 8 years old. This ensures that they will get all the help and guidance they need while growing up. Parents of children without any known developmental concerns may still bring their children to the center for routine screening.

The CDP offers Developmental Screening and Surveillance. Experts say that early identification of developmental disorders is important to the well-being of children and their families. Early detection is also the key to helping children develop their potential. This is why the CDP offers routine screening to identify children t risk for developmental and behavioral problems using standardized tools.

Developmental Surveillance is a flexible, longitudinal, continuous and cumulative process where knowledgeable health care professional identify children who may have developmental problems. Surveillance can be useful in determining appropriate referrals; providing patient education and family centered care in line with healthy development, and monitoring the effects of developmental health promotion.

Ciel said the CDP is like a one-stop-shop for her child's developmental needs. The center's other services include Comprehensive Evaluation and Diagnosis, Multidisciplinary Team Conference, Neuropsychological Evaluation, Therapy Services, Feeding Clinic, and Family Education and Support Service.

The center's sprecialists and allied medical professional provide a complete evaluation of children with  developmental or behavioral conditions are done by a multi-disciplinary team of specialists.
The CDP's therapy services are designed for children who require services such as Occupational, speech, and Physical Therapy.

The CDP is staffed by the following health care experts - General Pediatricians, Developmental Pediatricians, Pediatric Gastroenterologists, Nutrition Consultants, Nutritionists, and allied medical professionals such as Occupational therapists, Speech pathologists, and Physical Therapy.

Developmental Pediatricians lead this team since they have the expertise n the diagnosis and managment of various developmental and behavioral conditions including Autism, language disorders, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other learning-related disorders.

Other specialists like child neurologits, geneticists, adolescent pediatricians, child and adolescent psychiatrists, physiatrists, Otolaryngologists, Opthalmologists, and Orthopedic surgeons are also affiliated with the CDP.

Recognizing that parents play an important role in children's learning and development, the CDP also offers Language Stimulation Class, Behavior Management Class, Basic Feeding Principles and Pediatric Caregiver Class recommended for both parents and caregivers.

Cielo said moms or parents like her who would want to have their children screened for any developmental problems should go to the CDP.

For more information about the Center for Developmental Pediatrics, you may call (632) 988-1000 / (632) 988-7000 ext. 6630 or visit www.themedicalcity.com