Children are different. They are not just 'small adults' but are growing and changing all the time - a fact that must not be forgotten or ignored when children are ill. This new textbook of paediatrics offers a unique approach that takes the age of children into account. It is divided into two separate and distinct parts: Section 1 deals with children at various ages - from before birth through adolescence - and studies the normal growing child and common illnesses, using a symptom-based approach, Section 2 provides a mini encyclopaedia of paediatric disorders, their aetiology, incidence, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management. Cross references provide the necessary links between the two parts to avoid repetition.