The department of Pediatrics includes the branches of allergy-immunology, endocrinology, infectious diseases, gastroenterology, pulmonary medicine, hematology-oncology, cardiology, nephrology, rheumatology, neurology and neonatal/pediatric intensive care. Numerous kidney transplantation operations have also been successfully performed at the department within the scope of the ‘pediatric kidney and liver transplantation program’, which was launched in the year 2018. We are planning to introduce the stem cell transplantation procedure at our hospital in the near future as well.
Having taken the first steps towards becoming a Children’s Hospital, our department currently serves with a polyclinic ward of 24 beds, a pediatric ward of 24 beds, a neonatal intensive care ward capable of taking care of 15 babies, and a pediatric intensive care unit of 16 beds.
The Koç University Pediatric Hospital is among the national reference centers with a specialized team experienced in all relevant branches associated with pediatrics. Some of the treatment methods and practices requiring advanced technological infrastructure and experience, and special programs of our hospital include the following:
Practices and Treatment Methods of Pediatrics
Practices specific to allergic diseases
Approximately 300 different specific IgE and component-specific IgE antibody measurements are conducted at our department for diagnosis of allergic diseases. Skin tests are performed to detect allergy to pollen, house mites, cat, dog, horse, fungi, cockroach, latex, honey bee, wasp and numerous foods. Eligible patients are given immunotherapy in the form of a vaccine on the arm or sublingual medication. In order to diagnose food allergies and find out whether or not reaction to specific foods is ongoing, food provocation (loading) tests are performed as well. Food immunotherapy is conducted by using baked foods for children allergic to cow’s milk and eggs. Drug allergies are detected by means of skin tests and drug provocation tests involving penicillin, anesthetics and painkillers. Asthma and other respiratory tract diseases are diagnosed and followed at the respiratory function test lab, where spirometry and plethysmography tests are available. Children younger than 5 years of age are tested for respiratory function using impulse oscillometer. If necessary, an allergy specialist, dietitian, psychiatrist and psychologist support the process of following allergic diseases.
Programs tailored for nutrition of children diagnosed with a disease
Our department offers consultancy services to patients and their parents in terms of nutrition in pediatric and adolescent diseases and disorders of mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. Physicians of the department evaluate healthy and diagnosed children for growth and nutrition as well.
Endoscopic examinations
Endoscopic examination [endoscopy, colonoscopy, sclerotherapy, band ligation, balloon dilatation, POEM (peroral endoscopic myomectomy), gastrostomy, polypectomy, capsule endoscopy], liver biopsy, motility studies (esophageal pH, esophageal impedance, esophageal manometry, rectal-anal manometry), endo-ultrasonography and FibroScan procedures are available at our hospital for all age groups for diagnostic and treatment purposes.
Polyclinic for liver diseases
A polyclinic for pediatric liver diseases serves patients as part of our department. In addition to diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases, infants, children and also adolescents are evaluated as candidate liver transplantation recipients. Children with chronic or acute liver diseases of known or unknown etiology are followed and treated prior to and after transplantation. Transplantations from live or deceased donors are performed in our program. Although reaching a body weight of ten kilograms used to be recommended for infants in the past, this is no longer a requirement. It is now possible at our transplantation center to surgically resize the organ fragment to be transplanted to fit the receiving child’s body size.
Advanced investigations in pulmonary diseases
Our department of pulmonary medicine is able to perform flexible bronchoscopy in patients of all age groups starting from neonatal period. Respiratory functions can be evaluated by means of spirometer and impulse oscillometer among children older than 6 and by use of impulse oscillometer among preschool children.
Advanced treatment practices in renal diseases and urology
Dialysis support is offered at the department for children of all ages with renal diseases. Kidney transplantation can be performed on eligible patients in need starting from very early ages. Currently, a polyclinic for pediatric renal calculus patients is also being established. Our pediatric surgery and urology teams regularly hold council meetings to review congenital urological abnormalities. Cases of urinary incontinence are addressed by pediatric surgery/urology and psychiatry within the framework of a holistic approach.
HACP Program (Holistic Approach for Children and Parents)
Hospital experience may be challenging not only for children themselves, but also for their parents. In order to support children and parents better, the Department of Pediatrics of Koç University Hospital has established the ‘Holistic Approach for Children and Parents’ program. Led by psychologist Aslıhan Özcan Morey, HACP has been designed to assist children visiting our hospital and their parents in various challenges they may stumble upon and in terms of coping with situations such as disease or physical injury. As part of this program, our team, which is specialized in pediatric development and medical procedures, utilizes Expressionist Art Therapy and Play Therapy. The program aims to relieve the stress resulting from diagnostic and treatment processes, transform children and parents’ hospital experience into a positive one, and prevent possible impacts of chronic diseases, injury and physical obstacles on children’s development. Diagnosis and treatment-oriented hospital games, expressionist art therapy for emotional issues, activities by volunteering students and adults from outside the hospital and MNE-supported classroom activities are carried out under the HACP program. All of these endeavors enhance children’s quality of life in the hospital setting and facilitate their adaptation to life after discharge.
Happy Child, Happy Parents
The hospital experience may prove to be challenging not only for children, but also their parents during the course of diagnosis and treatment. As an effort that will likely set the path forward in Türkiye in this regard, we have established the
Happy Child, Happy Parents Program in order to provide better support to children and their parents here at the Pediatrics Department of Koç University Hospital. Inspired by our title of “Baby-friendly Hospital”, this program aims to add also the title of child-friendly to our hospital. The program has been designed so as to assist children and parents visiting our hospital in terms of coping with various challenges, conditions or situations such as physical injury. Within this framework, treatments and services available at our hospital are offered by means of a complementary and child-oriented approach. Our team specializes in pediatric development and medical procedures, and utilizes methods such as expressive art therapy and play therapy for the purposes of easing the burden of stress associated with diagnosis and treatment, positively transforming the hospital experience of children and parents and preventing potential impacts of chronic disease, injury or physical hindrances on development of children.
The
Happy Child, Happy Parents Program includes diagnostic and treatment-oriented hospital plays, expressive art therapies focusing on emotional issues, voluntary activities provided by students and adults from outside the hospital and hospital classroom activities supported by the Ministry of National Education. These efforts improve children’s quality of life in the hospital setting and also facilitate their adaptation to the life after hospital.
Service Subcategories of the Pediatrics Department
General Pediatrics Outpatient Clinic
General Pediatrics department renders primarily preventive healthcare services and all workup and treatments for children (0 to 18 years) and adolescents.
Our principle goal as a
baby-friendly hospital is to support breastfeeding. Breastfeeding counseling is available for all mothers who are followed up at our hospital following the birth.
Detailed neonatal metabolic screening test (Tandem MS, phenylketonuria, TSH, biotinidase, immune reactive trypsinogen), hearing screening and vision screening are performed for all newborn infants.
Our experienced and qualified team monitors growth and development of all children starting from neonatal period. Families are informed about child care and nutrition.
Necessary advices are made to support age-match mental and motor development in children. All age groups are followed up regarding psychological development.
Along with all vaccines listed in vaccination schedule of the Ministry of Health, all other vaccines that are not listed in vaccination schedule of the Ministry of Health (Rotavirus, Meningococcus, ACWY, Meningococcus B and HPV vaccines etc.) are also administered starting from neonatal period.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are ensured according to age and needs of children. All age groups are evaluated regarding healthy nutrition and exercises and recommendations are shared with the families for these children.
Moreover, childhood diseases are dealt with through a holistic approach and first-line treatment is provided for acute and chronic diseases. Families are referred to related department for advanced treatments, if necessary.
Preventive healthcare services ensure early diagnosis and treatment in addition to prevention of diseases. Preventive healthcare services have a more effective field comparing to therapeutic services. Experienced physicians of our unit follow the preventive health recommendations of the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics and they also implement the most up-to-date approaches in clinical practice.
In addition to outpatient clinics of pediatric divisions, there are also Medical Genetics, Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Psychiatry units and our patients are also served by pediatric psychologist and pediatric dietician. This interdisciplinary holistic approach provides ease and promptness in follow-up and differential diagnosis for both the families and our physicians. Moreover, we cooperate with our experienced colleagues in the field of pediatrics at ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology and orthopedics departments.
Outpatient Clinic
At our Pediatrics outpatient clinic which is located separately from other departments of the hospital, we take special care for the children to spend an enjoyable and safe waiting time with a large waiting room and playground. A separate room is available only for breastfeeding in the outpatient area. Laboratory tests are performed after necessary samples are collected by experienced pediatric nurses of the department without need to go another area. There is an area with 3 beds where steam therapy, injection and short-term follow-up, such as body temperature monitoring, are performed in the observation room of our outpatient unit.
Our outpatient clinic renders services from 08:00 to 17:00 in weekdays and 09:00 to 12:00 in the weekends and emergency unit of the clinic is at your service round the clock with specialist pediatrician staff. We spare 30 minutes for each patient and our team carries out all evaluations for the family and the child during the examination time.
You contact our call center by calling 0850 250 8250 to make an appointment from outpatient clinic.
Pediatrics Inpatient Clinic
Our inpatient clinic located on the upper floor of Pediatrics Outpatient Clinic consists of 24 rooms designed specifically for each patient. All details have been designed to be safe for pediatric patients requiring hospitalization and ensure that parents stay with their children. Isolation rooms are available to be used when necessary. A play room and an education room for children are also available at the clinic. A pediatrician always renders services at the clinic. The primary physician of the patient and physician of the clinic work cooperatively and consultations are requested from other departments if necessary. Moreover,
Happy Child, Happy Family Program is conducted by a psychologist to assist the children followed up for chronic diseases and their families to cope with the difficulties.