Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje 
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore 

Mangalore, Jan 3: It is said that childhood is the vital stage of development which in some way or the other influences the entire life of an individual. The speedy physical and psychological changes that children undergo from birth through adolescence often leave parents wondering how best to care for them at each stage. One person who mainly contributes to the child's healthy development is the paediatrician and it is very important to choose a skilled practitioner for your child.

Here’s a proficient paediatrician with 21 years of experience in the paediatric field and has been highly rated by the parents mainly for the fact that visit to his clinic is sure to bring back that smile in their children’s lovely faces. 

Dr Soans studied MBBS at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore and acquired his MD and DCH degrees in Pediatrics from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal / Mangalore. This was followed by a brief stint abroad after which he returned to Mangalore to join Father Muller Hospital and Medical College as a Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Presently he serves as Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at AJ Institute of Medical Science.

All through his career, Dr Soans has taken a keen interest in paediatric intensive care and adopted it as his professional specialization.

He is actively involved in the activities of Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) and has served four terms as its executive board member representing Karnataka state. Prior to this, he has served for ten years as the Joint Secretary of IAP Karnataka state branch. He is also the Founder President of IAP Intensive Care Chapter Karnataka, Founder Chairman of Indian Society for Critical Care Medicine, Mangalore Chapter and Past Editor of ‘The Intensivist’, the official journal of IAP Intensive Care Chapter.

Now, the appointment as the National President of Intensive Care Chapter of Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) has added another feather to Dr Soans’ cap. Dr Soans is the first Kannadiga to be elected to this prestigious position.

In an exclusive interview, Dr Soans focuses on the various aspects of healthy childhood, the areas where parents need to pay special attention and lots more…
 

Excerpts from the Interview: 
 

Q: What made you specialize in paediatric field? Who inspired you? 

A: During my initial days of posting, professor P M Krishnamurthy was the main reason for me to develop lot of interest in the paediatric field. His way of handling children was amazing and he was truly a role model. 

Children are always fascinating and the joy of treating children is always special. There’s nothing like bringing smile on a Child’s face. 

Q: The job of Paediatricians is not easy as infants or tiny tots cannot communicate their health problem like adults. How do you manage? 

A: I always tell my students, on a lighter note that Paediatric field and veterinary is more or less the same. The doctors in both these areas need to rely more on visible signs or symptoms more than the communication or the version of caretakers. 

Children are mostly happy and cheerful. They jump with joy when you give them chocolates or biscuits. The opposite thing happens when they are unwell. They remain silent, cling onto the mother and the beautiful smile on the face is lost. While treating the tiny ones we first consider the perception of the mothers. Then we carry out our observations taking into account the pre-natal history if required and perform the necessary tests to provide right treatments. 

Q: Could you brief on Intensive Care unit for children. How exactly was it started in Karnataka? 

A: Intensive Care Chapter is an autonomous wing of IAP devoted to the sub specialty of pediatric critical care and has branches all over the country.

We initially started the Intensive Care chapter of Karnataka with 10 doctors and I was the founder president. Now more than 100 doctors are involved in it who hold conferences regularly and train people. When there are serious health issues among children there is a need of continuous monitoring and that what when the requirement of Intensive care unit was realized. 


Q: What initiatives you paediatricians take to create awareness among the parents/caretakers about the childhood disorders? 

A: We conduct camps regularly and inform the parents about the ‘Red Flag Signs’ (the symptoms which can never be ignored). At least by that most of the parents will be aware when the child needs urgent medical attention. 
We also visit the schools every month and talk to the teachers and students as well. IAP also has initiated training on basic life saving skills. 

Q: Do you feel the childhood disorders have reduced over the years in India?

A: Yes definitely. With time the infections are getting better. In the olden days 1/3rd of the children would never be alive for their first birthday. But now the infant mortality rate has reduced to large extent due to development in the medical field. Now-a-days the number of children in the family too is less compared to yesteryears with which the parents can pay special attention to every child and take care of their medical needs properly. 

Q: What’s your say on the Psychological disorders of Children? Do we have enough specialists here in Mangalore to attend to the Psychological problems of children? What role do the Paediatricians play?

A: Yes. This is one main area of concern. Now-a-days lots of children suffer from Psychological disorders like Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) among others. At times the Paediatricians themselves are not aware of this unless they specialize in ‘Developmental Paediatrics’.

It is very important to recognize these disorders in children as early as possible. They should pick them up before 2 years and train them with which most of the children will cope well in life. 

But sadly in Mangalore there is no proper centre supporting the children psychologically. There are psychological doctors who generally treat all forms of disorders but there is a strong need for special autistic centers and disorder-specific centers which are there in the metropolitan cities. We all need to get together and support such clinics which will provide ample psychological support to children.
 

Q: What’s your message to the budding Paediatricians? 

A: I advice them to always work hard. The name, fame and monitory things will follow. They mainly need to be dedicated to the patients. 

The initial years are learning years. I urge the paediatricians to take up a sub-specialty of their choice and interest so that forte will develop. 
 

Q: Finally what is your advice/message to the parents/caretakers?

A: First and foremost whenever children have any sort of health problem without fail the parents must consult a medical practitioner. 

When it comes to school performance, the parents or elders should not pressurize the children too much. Definitely every child is good at particular field and they need to identify it and encourage it. 

One more important thing where parents need to pay special attention is the use of electronic media and gadgets. They need to keep a watch on their children’s activities, what exactly they are watching. Through facebook and so many social networking sites you never know what they are upto, with whom they interact etc. So to avoid any bad effects on them it’s always better to monitor them.

The food habits of children also should be taken care. Now-a-days children are more prone to eating junk foods which contain too many preservatives, colouring agents. Some of them may even have carcinogenic particles. The number of obese children is also on the rise due to food habits. Hence to maintain a healthy life children should cultivate healthy food habits. The parents thus play a vital role in shaping their children’s lives. 
 

Dr Santhosh Soans can be contacted at +91 93435 65558