Memory Aid for NEET PG: Paediatrics Mnemonics

To pursue a career in the medical field, it is necessary to appear for medical entrance tests like the NEET. The NEET is held at both UG and PG levels, and is conducted by the NTA. The NEET-PG is the qualifying exam for postgraduate medical courses such as MD, DM, or doctoral diplomas. The score in this test decides your admission into various government and private colleges in the country. It is well-known that preparing for the NEET-PG requires a lot of hard work and the right strategy. The syllabus for the NEET-PG is quite vast, and each topic demands proper time allotment.  

Pediatrics is one of the most crucial topics to focus on while preparing for the NEET-PG. This may include different topics such as growth and development, feeding, nutrition, oxygen toxicity, care of infants, etc. These topics are delicate and need to be studied in detail.

Paediatrics Syllabus

The syllabus for Paediatrics for the NEET-PG includes the following topics:

1. Normal Growth and Development

2. Common problems related to Growth

3. Common problems related to Development -1 (Developmental delay, Cerebral palsy)

4. Common problems related to Development-2 (Scholastic backwardness, Learning Disabilities, Autism, ADHD)

5. Common problems related to behavior

6. Complementary Feeding

7. Normal nutrition, assessment, and monitoring

8. Provide nutritional support, assessment, and monitoring for common nutritional problems

9. Obesity in children

10. Systemic Pediatrics-Central Nervous system

11. Allergic Rhinitis, Atopic Dermatitis, Bronchial Asthma, Urticaria Angioedema

12. Micronutrients in Health and disease-1 (Vitamins ADEK, B Complex, and C)

13. Micronutrients in Health and disease -2: Iron, Iodine, Calcium, Magnesium

14. Toxic elements and free radicals and oxygen toxicity

15. Fluid and electrolyte balance

16. Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI) Guideline

17. Adolescent Health & common problems related to Adolescent Health

18. To promote and support optimal Breastfeeding for Infants

19. The National Health programs: NHM

20. The National Health Programs: RCH

21. National Programs, RCH – Universal Immunizations program

22. Care of the Normal Newborn and High-risk Newborn

23. Genito-Urinary system

24. Rheumatologic problems in children

25. Anemia and other Hemato-oncologic disorders in children

26. Chromosomal Abnormalities

27. Endocrinology

28. Tuberculosis

29. Cardiovascular system

30. Diarrhoeal diseases and Dehydration

31. Malabsorption

32. Acute and chronic liver disorders

33. Common Pediatric Emergencies

34. Respiratory system

All these topics comprise specific terms and definitions, that are sometimes hard to remember. Particular strategies for learning pediatric terminologies include note-making, animated studies, mnemonics, and other memory tactics. This article provides a review of memory tactics, which can help students remember essential terms and abbreviations associated with the study of paediatrics. 

What exactly are mnemonics?

The learning associated with complex terms, is typically mugged or crammed up by students. However, a better way to learn and recall information, is by using memory tactics. Mnemonics are such memory aids that can be generally defined as learning devices that promote better data retention in our minds. Mnemonics can be long or short, and can be created in a personalized way. Usually, mnemonics aim at invoking a sense of relatability in the learner, which quickly helps the learner to remember and recall the term. Mnemonics can be made using inferences from colors, TV shows, dialogues – just about anything! All you need, is to create a story or an image in your mind that you can relate to instantly.

What is the need for mnemonics while studying Paediatrics?

 As you must have read above, the syllabus for pediatrics comprises numerous detailed topics. When we talk about diseases or disorders, it is sometimes difficult to remember the exact scientific/ medical term. This is where memory aids come into play. Mnemonics can help you remember tough times with no difficulty. This is a great help for those preparing for the NEET-PG. Mnemonics are time-saving memory gadgets. 

Since the NEET-PG is by itself a tough exam to crack, it is imperative to go through the vast syllabus thoroughly – and what better way than to use mnemonics! Students need to allocate time properly to all topics, therefore, the use of mnemonics assists students in timely preparation. This also saves extra time for revision and recall. For more preparation tips and doubt clearing sessions, visit https://www.egurukulapp.com/.  

Some standard mnemonics for better preparation

For solving a time-bound exam, it is better to focus on the portions that require more learning. In paediatrics, some mnemonics are commonly used by students and medical practitioners to recall conditions, symptoms, red flags, and treatment options. 

Let’s take a look at some standard mnemonics that might be useful – 

(Each capital letter in the mnemonic stands for a particular word or explanatory sentence.)

Mnemonic	Meaning	Explanation
HHIDE in Case of Several Malnutrition Follows	Hypoglycemia, HypothermiaI Infection Dehydration Electrolytes Catch up on growth Sensory stimulation Micronutrients Follow Up	Nutrition and Malnutrition are essential aspects of Pediatrics. For a child who is supposed to be Malnutrition, it is advised to follow a specific treatment regime. To remember the ten significant steps of the process, the acronym can be used.
BREAST	Bromocriptine/ Benzodiazepines Radioactive isotopes/ Rizatriptan Ergotamine/ Ethosuximide Amiodarone/ Amphetamines Stimulant laxatives/ Sex hormones Tetracycline/ Tretinoin	During the breastfeeding stage, some medicines may not suit the mother and the child. This is the list of the contraindicated drugs during breastfeeding.
Do What Pediatricians Say To, Or Be Inviting Costly Malpractice	Drying Warming Positioning Suctioning Tactile stimulation Oxygen Bagging Intubated endotracheally Chest compressions Medications	These are the successive steps for Neonatal resuscitation.
PACES	Psychological satisfaction Anti-infective property/Atopic disorders risk. Convenient Expenseless, i.e. free Stimulates growth and development	This mnemonic gives a summary of the advantages of breastfeeding
KIDS	Vitamin K deficiency in breast-milk Infection transmission risk eg. HIV Drugs excreted in milk Stressful and tiring for mother	This mnemonic gives a summary of the disadvantages of breastfeeding
BAN HENS	Blurred vision Ataxia (clumsiness) Nystagmus Headache Endocrine dysfunctionNausea and vomitingSquint (6th nerve palsy)	Brain tumors can be deadly and need an early diagnosis. These are the clinical presentations of brain tumors.
PC FED BRAHMS	Pneumonia Cystic fibrosis/Croup Foreign body Epiglottitis Drug ingestion Bronchiolitis Raised ICP Asthma Head injury Meningitis/muscle weakness Severe cardiac failure	In infants, lung diseases like pneumonia may develop into respiratory failures if left untreated. These are the common causes of respiratory failure.
CWS	Cough (dry/nocturnal/worse with exercise) Wheeze Shortness of breath	Common cough in infants and kids may be a symptom of asthma if it is followed by a few more symptoms.
CHEST	Cyanosis/Confusion/Coma Hypotension Exhaustion Silent chest Threatening PEFR <33% predicted in those above 5 years old	If asthma worsens, it can turn into an asthma attack.
Old People From Texas Eat Spiders	Occipital Parietal Frontal Temporal Ethmoid Sphenoid	The bones of the skull are easy to remember using this mnemonic sentence.
SMARTTT	Sepsis Meningococcemia Acute endocarditis Rocky Mountain spotted fever Toxic erythemas Toxic epidermal necrolysis Travel-related infections	These are the causes of fever and rashes in infants, children, and adolescents.
SPaRES	Scarlet fever (Flushing of the face occurs but the rash doesn’t involve the face) Prowazekii causes Epidemic typhus Roseola infantum or Exanthem subitum or Sixth disease	These are the basic terminologies related to the sparing of the face.
DEFGhI	Delivery complicationsEthnicityFamily historyGestational history:Input/Output (Feed and stool)	Proper diagnosis of neonatal jaundice requires the knowledge of certain aspects to begin with the treatment. This mnemonic summarizes the questions to be asked while preparing a case study of neonatal jaundice.
Mama Is In Pain, Papa Can Make Medicine	1st Molar: 6 years1st Incisor: 7 years2nd Incisor: 8 years1st Premolar: 9 years2nd Premolar: 10 yearsCanine: 11 years2nd Molar: 12 years3rd Molar: 18-25 years	This mnemonic sentence sums up the eruption times of permanent dentition.

Creating your mnemonics

Mnemonics can be easily created on one’s own. Once the student learns how to frame mnemonics, any difficult word or term becomes easy to understand and remember. Mnemonics in paediatrics can be created in several ways, including imagery, sound, numbers, poems, stories, etc. Using imagery, the student can create a picture nearly related to the term that is to be learned. Using sound (onomatopoeia), the student can relate the time to an already known sound that reminds you of that particular word. As you have read above, certain diseases or disorders in paediatrics are based on the number of days. 

For example, the number 3 may help recall a fever that lasts three days, also called Sudden Fever. Apart from these terminologies, specific topics need an in-depth understanding. For such detailed concepts, mnemonics can be used in the form of stories. Being the story’s creator makes it easier for a student to recall the mnemonic term. 

Conclusion

The NEET-PG exam tests an aspirant’s knowledge well in detail. Preparing such a vast amount of syllabus in a limited time can be stressful sometimes. To avoid that stress, memory aids can be used that assist in better and permanent learning. Hence, mnemonics are a handy tool to promote smooth understanding and better performance. This article sums up the importance of memory aids, along with the most frequently used mnemonics in paediatrics. 

For better preparation and identification of your weak points, eGurukul by DBMCI is one of the best online platforms. eGurukul can be used to clear doubts, listen to lectures, identify your weak points and assess what you have learned to date. You can learn from the best medical experts who have tutored numerous NEET-PG toppers. For more information.