Paediatrics for MBBS: Notes, PYQs and Viva

What Is Paediatrics in MBBS?

Paediatrics in the MBBS Final Year addresses the distinct physiology, disease presentation, and management requirements of children from birth through adolescence. The syllabus is structured around four broad areas: neonatology, growth and development, childhood infections and nutrition, and organ system paediatrics.

Neonatology is the highest-yield section of the Paediatrics paper across all seven GeckoMed universities. It covers normal newborn assessment, the APGAR score and its interpretation, neonatal resuscitation, neonatal jaundice (physiological versus pathological, bilirubin thresholds, phototherapy, exchange transfusion), neonatal sepsis, birth asphyxia, low birth weight and prematurity (respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular haemorrhage, necrotising enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity), neonatal convulsions, and breastfeeding and complementary feeding.

Growth and development covers growth monitoring parameters (weight, height, head circumference and their interpretation), developmental milestones across four domains, developmental delay, and the assessment of malnutrition. Protein energy malnutrition — including the differentiation of marasmus and kwashiorkor, grading systems, and management including therapeutic feeding — is a consistently tested topic. Nutritional deficiencies including iron deficiency anaemia, vitamin D deficiency and rickets, and vitamin A deficiency complete this section.

Immunisation is examined in both its theoretical and applied dimensions. The Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) recommended immunisation schedule and the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) under the Government of India's national programme are both tested — including vaccine names, ages of administration, routes, doses, cold chain requirements, contraindications, and the common adverse effects of each vaccine. This section overlaps with Community Medicine.

Childhood infectious diseases covers the common exanthemata (measles, chickenpox, mumps, rubella), enteric fever, malaria and dengue in children, acute respiratory infections (ARI) and their IMNCI-based management, diarrhoeal diseases and oral rehydration therapy (ORT), meningitis (bacterial and viral, CSF findings, organisms by age group), tuberculosis in children (primary complex, BCG vaccination), and vaccine-preventable diseases. The Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) framework is tested in both Paediatrics and Community Medicine.

Organ system paediatrics covers congenital heart disease (ventricular septal defect as the most common acyanotic defect, tetralogy of Fallot as the most common cyanotic defect, patent ductus arteriosus), acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, nephrotic syndrome in children, haematological conditions (childhood anaemia, ITP, haemophilia, sickle cell disease, thalassaemia), febrile seizures, and common paediatric surgical conditions (intussusception, pyloric stenosis, Hirschsprung's disease).

The Paediatrics practical examination includes clinical case examination with a paediatric patient, growth chart interpretation, developmental assessment, and a viva.

Paediatrics Question Papers by University

GeckoMed provides Paediatrics question papers across all seven target universities. Tier-1 universities (RGUHS, KNRUHS, TNMGRMU) include papers from 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2021.

Paediatrics Notes and Study Material

Condition Guides GeckoMed's medical topics library includes the following Paediatrics-relevant condition guides:

Neonatal Jaundice — Physiological versus pathological distinction, bilirubin thresholds for phototherapy and exchange transfusion, causes of pathological jaundice in the newborn, and management. Among the most frequently asked topics in Paediatrics papers across all seven universities.

Meningitis — CSF findings in bacterial versus viral meningitis, organisms by age group (including neonatal, infant, and school-age patterns), clinical features, and antibiotic management. Tested in both Paediatrics and General Medicine.

Anaemia — Classification, investigation, and management. Nutritional iron deficiency anaemia in children is a distinct paediatric presentation tested in Paediatrics short answer questions and viva.

Tuberculosis — Childhood TB, primary complex, BCG vaccination, and the RNTCP paediatric regimen are tested alongside the adult TB content.

Malaria — Paediatric cerebral malaria and severe falciparum malaria management, which differs from adult management, is commonly tested in Final Year Paediatrics papers at South Indian universities.

Clinical Reference Material

Immunisation schedules are among the highest-yield data sets in Paediatrics — tested in both written papers and viva. GeckoMed's clinical reference library provides:

IAP Immunization Schedule — The Indian Academy of Paediatrics recommended schedule including vaccines beyond the UIP, age of administration, routes, doses, and key contraindications. Essential revision for Paediatrics viva and written exams.

National Immunization Schedule India — The Government of India Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) schedule. Tested in both Paediatrics and Community Medicine papers. Covers vaccines included under the national programme with administration schedule and public health context.

Normal Lab Values Chart — Paediatric reference ranges for haematological and biochemical parameters, relevant for interpreting investigations in case-based questions.

Also useful:

• MBBS Drug Dosing Reference — Paediatric drug dosing for antibiotics (amoxicillin, cotrimoxazole), antipyretics (paracetamol), anticonvulsants (phenobarbitone, diazepam), ORS composition and volumes, and vitamin/mineral supplement doses for deficiency states
• How to Pass MBBS Final Year — Study strategy for all four Final Year subjects including Paediatrics

Subject-level Paediatrics notes are available in the GeckoMed app. Website notes pages will be added as they publish.

Paediatrics Viva and Practical Preparation

The Paediatrics practical examination tests clinical skills specific to child assessment: growth chart plotting and interpretation, developmental milestone assessment, clinical examination of a paediatric case, and a viva. Examiners commonly ask applied questions on neonatal assessment (APGAR, resuscitation), immunisation schedules (which vaccine is given at what age and why), malnutrition grading, and the clinical differentiation of common childhood conditions.

Paediatrics-specific viva questions are available in the GeckoMed app. A dedicated viva page for Paediatrics will be added to the Viva section when published.

Immunisation schedule revision is a practical priority for the Paediatrics viva — examiners at most universities ask students to state the UIP schedule verbatim or describe which vaccines are given at the 6-week, 10-week, and 14-week visits. Reviewing the IAP immunisation schedule and national immunisation schedule in the week before the practical is high-return revision time.

Related Subjects

Paediatrics bridges several other MBBS subjects both in content and in clinical practice:

Obstetrics and Gynaecology — The newborn period begins at delivery. Neonatal resuscitation, immediate newborn assessment, and breastfeeding initiation are examined in both OBG and Paediatrics. The neonatal jaundice topic guide covers both the obstetric causes and the paediatric management across this transition.

General Medicine — Paediatric presentations of conditions covered in General Medicine — childhood meningitis, childhood tuberculosis, febrile seizures versus adult epilepsy, and paediatric anaemia — are tested in both subjects. Revising these conditions from both perspectives strengthens both papers.

Community Medicine — Immunisation schedules, growth monitoring, IMNCI, childhood nutrition programmes, and maternal and child health statistics are shared curriculum between Paediatrics and Community Medicine. Revising immunisation schedules once covers both subjects.

Microbiology — Organisms causing paediatric meningitis, neonatal sepsis, diarrhoeal disease, and acute respiratory infections bridge the Phase 2 Microbiology syllabus and Final Year Paediatrics case-based questions.

Frequently Asked Questions