One of the first questions Prof. Gomes-Pedro asked me was: “What does a Speech Therapist do with a newborn baby? Do you play with the baby? Talk to the baby? My answer was: “I help newly born babies with feeding difficulties”. Thanks to assistance and knowledge passed on by Prof. Gomes-Pedro, I later realised that we were talking about one of the first touchpoints in the life of a baby, and that this stage offers an excellent opportunity to develop communication. In the Paediatric Unit, this is how my work as a Speech Therapist with newborn babies at risk and […]

In nature, ill, incapacitated or vulnerable animals are, generally speaking, abandoned or the first victims of predators. Thus, we may admit that rejecting a different offspring, or with differences, particularly with a disability, may be a normal attitude. Despite the huge progress made so far, particularly of a cultural nature, well expressed by the recognition of rights, such as right to life, to education, to leisure, to sexuality, to parenthood, to professional training and employment, and of the right to the family placement of people with a mental disability, among others, there is still no satisfactory answer to the more […]

The new contributions of education and the hope of articulation with the valuable contributions of health Since 1984, and as per Law no. 3/84 of 24 March, the implementation of sexual education has been legally established as an integrating part of the “fundamental right to education (…) in schools” (Law no. 3/84 of 24 March, page 981). Successive legal and normative framework has further reinforced this implementation of the law. It is believed that schools have taken the first formal steps in the education and promotion of health, with the setting up of the National Network of Health Promoting Schools […]

Health at Schools Programme and technical and normative resources which, as part of the National Health Service (SNS), currently regulate this activity The National Programme for Health in Schools is a crucial tool for improving the school population health literacy, which is a basic component for promoting the health of the educational community. In conceptual terms, the Programme proposes a holistic approach to health in schools, as part of the project aiming to create health-promoting schools. Its activities focus on improving the physical look of schools, the inclusion of students with special needs, and the early detection of risk situations, […]

Over times, the study of the Respiratory Function has played a crucial role in diagnosis, in evaluating the results of therapy, and in monitoring the clinical evolution of patients with respiratory pathologies. In Paediatrics, the development of techniques and strategies enabling respiratory functional studies throughout all paediatric age groups has proved to be extremely useful in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, represented by Asthma and other sibilant diseases, Cystic Fibrosis and Bronchiolitis Obliterans, and in other emerging diseases, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia or in the pulmonary repercussion of diseases such as sickle cell anemia or neuromuscular and musculoskeletal […]

Since the XIX century, Medicine has been interested in sick, particularly premature, newborn babies. First incubators and gavage feeding techniques where used by then. In the second half of the XX century, with technological development, several practices will become available like invasive and non-invasive ventilation, monitoring devices, parenteral nutrition, prenatal corticosteroids and exogenous surfactant, ultrasonography, inhaled oxide nitric, induced hypothermia and ECMO. These advances will allow the survival, globally with less impairment, of a much greater number of newborn babies. These facts are well documented by the evolution of perinatal and neonatal mortality rates in developed countries. “Neonatology” is first […]

It started back in 1995. It was completely innovative in this country, and an initial idea of Prof. Gomes-Pedro, further developed by other people, until it became the icon of the medical degree. It was the subject that lit the first sparkle in freshers and made them have the ambition of “becoming doctors”. I started my medical degree in 1999. The subject “Introduction to Medicine” was a way of saying to first-year students: “Come to the Medical Degree! Come and learn everything you need to learn to be a Doctor and not just a mere medical scientist” This subject involved […]

“The womb may be more important than the home”. D J P Barker; BMJ Volume 301 17 November 1990 Acknowledgment that there are early factors that determine and influence the emergence of diseases late in life has been demonstrated in the relation between weight at birth and cardiovascular disease, which is known as the Barker hypothesis. Studies undertaken in Norway, Finland, the United Kingdom, and the USA reveal mortality rates by cardiovascular disease that are inversely proportional to the height of populations, and geographic differences in cardiovascular mortality related to former differences in infant mortality rates. Records from the previous […]

Breastfeeding is the Gold Standard of infant nutrition. Given the indisputable evidence of advantages for the mother, child, and community health in general, all health professionals should promote, and support it by taking a strong and clear position in favour of breastfeeding. It is recommended that, except in rare individual circumstances which may be unfavourable, all children should be feed exclusively with breast milk for a period never less than six months that may be extended after the start of food diversification until 24 months of age. Recent studies show that exclusive breastfeeding during a period of 6 months is […]

Health professionals are challenged to build together a well-being policy centred on promoting resilience in children and their families  The importance of multidisciplinarity has always been an issue of honour and a battle Prof. Dr. Gomes-Pedro has always fought for. This was his motto when the first Developmental Unit of the country was set up at the Santa Maria Hospital, in this Paediatrics Service, and which still exists. Basically formed by paediatricians, Prof. Dr. Gomes-Pedro contributed, with plenty of commitment, to formalizing the effective collaboration of other health professionals, namely educators, speech therapists, and psychologists. Operating since 2005 in this […]

In this section we continue to divulge online resources, which may be personal web pages, blogs, institutional portals, etc. We shall give preference to those of simple and intuitive use, preferably free of charge. A large part will be dedicated to the medical sciences In the present edition, we offer some more suggestions, which may also be added to the favourite pages link.  The page Free Medical Journals is a must in the field of medical sciences. According to the publishers, «Over the next years, the most important medical journals will be available online, free and in full-text. The unrestricted […]