Pediatrics
The Department of Pediatrics provides a full spectrum of services to children up till age 14 years. Our experienced pediatric team members who are board-certified by accrediting bodies in North America and the United Kingdom, help parents raise healthy and happy kids. Our services include pediatric cardiology, pediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric neurology, pediatric pulmonology, pediatric nephrology, pediatric gastroenterology, pediatric rheumatology, pediatric allergy and immunology, immunology service, allergy and asthma service, pediatric endocrinology, pediatric infectious disease, and developmental and behavioral pediatrics.
Scope of Services:
1- Pediatric Cardiology
The Pediatric Cardiology outpatient clinics provides four types of clinical services: general cardiology clinic, Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic (ACHD), anticoagulation clinic and recently initiated post-surgical cardiac clinic.
Inpatient services include an exceptional service to children with congenital heart defects for non-invasive assessment and treatment of their cardiac disease. These include trans-thoracic echocardiography (TEE), 12 lead EKG, Holter monitoring and cardiac-stress testing.
As part of the Cardiac Center of Excellence at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center- Jeddah, the Section of Pediatric Cardiology provides a complete cardiac fetal program. The service provides a weekly diagnostic clinic, where Level-III fetal echocardiograms are performed.
The invasive cardiac catheterization lab boasts of a robust invasive service provided by the pediatric cardiology team. It is a state of the art catheterization suite, with innovative technology consisting of two biplane labs and one fully equipped hybrid lab that can be converted into a fully functional operating theatre instantly.
2- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) provides care to patient from newborn to 14 years of age. The unit provides continuous monitoring and/or intervention. It provides post cardiac-surgery care for congenital heart disease repair patient. It also provides extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) which is not available in any other center in the Western Region.
3- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
The NICU in KFHSRC-Jeddah branch is the only NICU in the kingdom and one of the few in the world that provides care for neonate with congenital heart disease and manage these children after cardiac surgery. The physicians and nurses over the years have built specialty experience to manage such patients.
4- Pediatric Neurology
The Section of Pediatric Neurology cares for a large number of children with acute and chronic neurological diseases. Conditions that we treat include epilepsy, headache, neuromuscular condition, movement disorders, neuro-cutaneous syndromes, neuro-genetic and neurodegenerative disease cerebral palsy complication of prematurity, spasticity and pediatric stroke.
5- Pediatric Pulmonology
The pediatric pulmonary service at King Faisal Specialist Hospital is dedicated to helping children suffering from breathing disorders and lung diseases, including asthma, cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia (a rare genetic condition affecting the lining of the lungs). Our patients have access to the latest diagnostic testing and provide the latest in treatment and interventions. When admitted to the pediatric ward, patients with cystic fibrosis are placed on a clinical pathway, in order that all patient receive the standard of care. The pediatric pulmonologist provides specialized lung function testing for children through the Pediatric Pulmonary Function Laboratory.
6- Pediatric Nephrology
Patients are referred for expert tertiary pediatric nephrology services with either acute or chronic kidney diseases. The Pediatric Nephrology service provides inpatient management and treatment of the pediatric patient requiring, peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, renal biopsy, renal transplant, and other of modalities of renal imaging to help reach a correct diagnosis and treatment plan. Once a treatment plan is formulated, the patient is followed in the outpatient clinic to ensure treatment compliance and monitor renal function.
7- Pediatric Gastroenterology
Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah Branch offers a comprehensive evaluation and treatment for children disorders of the digestive system, primarily the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, liver, gall bladder, and pancreas. The mission is to provide the highest quality medical care to our patients in the evaluation and treatment of gastrointestinal, liver, and nutritional disorders.
Our team includes a skilled physician, nurses, and a registered dietician who are dedicated to caring for the physical and emotional needs of children and their families. Children are admitted to the Pediatric ward for diagnostic procedures and nutritional rehabilitation.
The outpatient gastroenterology clinic at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah serves as a referral hub for patient from all over the western region. Pediatric GI diseases managed include celiac and gluten-related disorders, food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Bowel issues/functional disorders (constipation, voiding problems and chronic diarrhea), Feeding disorders and Failure to Thrive, Liver and pancreas disorders. In addition post-liver-transplant patient are seen in the clinic.
8- Pediatric Rheumatology
The Pediatric Rheumatology service at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre-Jeddah provides in-patient and out-patient evidence-based subspecialty care for all children referred from inside or outside the hospital. The breadth of Rheumatic conditions managed by this service includes autoimmune disorders, auto-inflammatory disorders, and non-inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders. Autoimmune disorders (Adaptive immunity) such as Juvenile Idiopathic arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Juvenile Dermatomyositis, scleroderma, vasculitis , Uveitis, Acute Rheumatic Fever, and many others are diagnosed and treated.
9- Pediatric Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Evaluate and treat condition that affect the immune system, these diseases can be congenital or acquired. Medical care to children with congenital immunodeficiency is provided by immunology service. Collaboration with hematology/oncology specialists with expertise in hematopoietic stem cell transplant is done for children with congenital immunodeficiency if it is required and indicated. Hypersensitivity responses whether secondary to allergens or idiopathic affecting different body systems like: asthma, allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, food allergy, medications allergies, insect sting allergies, anaphylaxis, urticarial/angioedema, eczema are also assessed and treated using current and updated knowledge.
A significant numbers of patients with primary, secondary immunodeficiency are managed as in-patients, out-patients and in DPU. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is done in collaboration with hematology/oncology for patients with primary immunodeficiency.
Patient with allergic diseases are seen as in-patient, and outpatient. A special care to asthma clinic was provided to best serve the pediatric asthma patients, by involving the respiratory therapy team to educate the patients with appropriate inhalation techniques and performing spirometry during the clinic visit
10- Pediatric Endocrinology
Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes service at King Faisal Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah Branch provides care to patient with complex congenital and acquired endocrine diseases in children and adolescents. The service also tends to children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Referral cases come primarily come from the Western Region, but from other areas as well for management for their tertiary care diagnosis.
The service comprises of Pediatric Endocrinologists with the support from the nutrition team and a diabetic educator. The service provides inpatient consultation and once stable, patients are followed in the outpatient clinics. In addition, many of the patients are followed up in the Day Procedure Unit (DPU) for dynamic endocrine testing and for intravenous medications. In patient consultations and long-term follow up is provided to patients who undergo treatment with chemotherapy, head or whole body radiation therapy, bone marrow transplant and neurosurgical patients who have a high probability of endocrine dysfunction secondary to their treatment.
11- Pediatric Infectious Disease
Pediatric Infectious Diseases in the Department of Pediatrics at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center- Jeddah treats children with a wide variety of infections. Pediatricians specializing in infectious diseases see patients with conditions ranging from common infections, fever of unknown origin to more serious diseases like infections in immunocompromised host, HIV/AIDS, and immunization post chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation.
The Pediatric Infectious Diseases out-patient clinic provides expert diagnosis and management of infectious disease-related issues and follow up for inpatient consultation. Patients are referred to the clinic by their primary hospital for tertiary care diagnosis and treatment.
12- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at King Faisal Specialized Hospital and Research Centre- Jeddah Branch specializes in evaluating and treating children with developmental difficulties and related behavioral challenges. This comprehensive and specialized service is only available in the Department of Pediatrics of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center- Jeddah for children with such needs in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia. The section prides itself in that it has the only certified Developmental Pediatrician in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia. Junior trainees from all over the kingdom come to learn from their expertise.
