Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

The Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine has a total of 45 beds.

Restoring health and maintaining it—that is the goal toward which our team of qualified and highly motivated pediatric nurses and physicians works. Expertise combined with empathy is the foundation of our work. Our mission begins long before birth with joint consultations for high-risk pregnancies with obstetricians and ends with the transfer of our patients to adult physicians once their physical development is complete.

Chief physician Dr. Christiande Wiethoff examines a baby using a stethoscope

Focal points of treatment

Acute and chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory system
Care for sick newborns and premature infants in the perinatal unit
Diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases
Asthma, bronchial and pulmonary diseases
Allergy diagnosis and treatment, and therapy for atopic dermatitis
Diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract (including bedwetting)
Sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep disturbances (pediatric sleep laboratory)
Acute diagnosis and initial treatment of mental and psychosomatic disorders

The little ones are the biggest thing for us

We view our patients as individuals, as people within their families. That is why we place special emphasis on communicating with children and parents, as this forms the basis for determining the best treatment for each individual. To help children experience their hospital stay with as little anxiety as possible, we allow a parent to stay with them. The child-friendly design of the general ward, opportunities for play—including supervised play—and visits from clown doctors all contribute to creating the most relaxed atmosphere possible. Even after discharge, our expert team is always available to answer questions—including those from the doctors providing follow-up care—and we hope that in this way we can provide the child and their family with the greatest possible support in healing and preventing illness.

Range of services

The services offered by the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine cover the entire spectrum of pediatrics, with the exception of the treatment of children with cancer. A key focus is on the treatment of acute infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory system, as well as their complications. Together with our colleagues in surgery and otolaryngology, we monitor and treat pediatric and adolescent patients following accidents. Even in other situations where children and adolescents require treatment by the departments of Surgery, Otolaryngology, or Urology, care is provided on the Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine ward in close collaboration. The principle that “children belong on the pediatric ward” has long been a reality in Rüsselsheim.

Perinatal focus

A key focus is the care of sick newborns and premature infants in our perinatal unit, which includes an attached intensive care unit. From prenatal counseling and support during high-risk deliveries—in close collaboration with obstetricians—through treatment of medical conditions to postnatal care, we provide a comprehensive network designed to ensure that children and parents feel safe.

Focus areas: Cardiovascular system - Kidneys and urinary tract - Lungs and bronchi - Allergies and metabolic disorders

The pediatric gastroenterology department diagnoses and treats acute and chronic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we perform ultrasound and endoscopic examinations (e.g., gastroscopy and colonoscopy) as well as H₂ breath tests (fructose and lactose tolerance tests).

Children with heart and circulatory problems are diagnosed and managed by a pediatric cardiologist and her team. In the field of pediatric cardiology, our medical scope includes the diagnosis and treatment of acquired and congenital cardiovascular diseases (e.g., hypertension, circulatory insufficiency, cardiomyopathies, arrhythmias, as well as the diagnosis and management of patients with congenital heart defects). Here, we perform, among other things, long-term ECGs, long-term blood pressure measurements, and echocardiograms.

Asthma, bronchial, and lung diseases can be diagnosed and treated using a wide variety of modern methods, including bronchoscopy.

Allergy diagnosis and treatment, as well as therapy for atopic dermatitis, are also part of our scope of services. The diagnosis and treatment of kidney and urinary tract diseases are carried out in close cooperation with the Department of Urology and the Institute of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine.

Focus: Sleep analysis - psychological and psychosomatic disorders

This collaboration also addresses the very common—and often overlooked—problem of bedwetting. The pediatric sleep laboratory offers the opportunity to diagnose and treat sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep maintenance disorders, and similar conditions. The need for treatment of childhood snoring is assessed, and recommendations for therapy are provided.

Acute diagnosis and initial treatment for mental and psychosomatic disorders are ensured through close collaboration with theCaritasFamily Counseling Centerin Rüsselsheim. If necessary, the counseling center can also provide temporary follow-up care.