Symposium “Pediatrics in the Center”

Abstract

From February 14 to 16, 2025, in Sinj, the symposium “Pediatrics in the Center” was held as a first-category continuing medical education event. It was organized by the Department of Pediatrics of the Children’s Hospital Zagreb, the Reference Center of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia for Growth and Development of Preschool Children, the Croatian Society for Pediatric Pulmonology of the Croatian Medical Association, and the University of Split School of Medicine.

The symposium brought together numerous speakers and a total of 170 participants, presenting various topics from pediatrics and related fields. Guidelines were shared on the nutrition of healthy children, with an emphasis on the timing of introducing foods and recommendations for the introduction of allergenic foods. In the field of gastroenterology, indications and diagnostic protocols for celiac disease screening were discussed, as well as functional abdominal symptoms—constipation and abdominal pain.

Allergic reactions to vaccines were addressed, including vaccination of children with hypersensitivity to certain vaccines, vaccine components, and nutritional allergens. Protocols for treating acute asthma exacerbations and acute obstructive bronchitis were also presented. A special lecture was dedicated to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the development and application of vaccines against this virus.

There were discussions on the treatment of shock in children, non-epileptic paroxysmal events with an emphasis on age and clinical presentation, the approach to children with deviations in neuromotor development, interpretation of urine findings, and approach to nocturnal enuresis. Guidelines for the early diagnosis of malignant tumors and the approach to bleeding in childhood were also presented.

In the field of radiology, contrast imaging and the use of ultrasound in pediatric medicine were covered with rich visual examples. Topics also included child growth and development, interpretation of laboratory findings, guidelines for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas, and contemporary views and recommendations regarding preventive examinations of young athletes to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death.

As part of the symposium, short communications were prepared and published as a special issue of the journal *Paediatria Croatica*.

We are pleased that the symposium “Pediatrics in the Center” gathered such a large number of participants from various specialties involved in child care, and we look forward to meeting again soon and learning together for the benefit of our patients.