Endocrinology is a medical field that focuses on hormone secretion and its effects on various systems in the body. Hormones are chemicals produced and released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream, influencing processes such as growth, puberty, and metabolism.
Hormone secretion is tightly regulated, and imbalances—whether a deficiency or excess—can lead to medical conditions. If your child has a growth disorder, delayed or early puberty, diabetes, or another condition related to hormones or the glands that produce them, they may require treatment and follow-up by a pediatric endocrinologist.
Pediatric Endocrinology – Conditions We Treat
The Pediatric Endocrinology Unit provides diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up for a wide range of endocrine conditions, including:
- Growth disorders, including short and tall stature
- Early or delayed puberty
- Thyroid disorders, including hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism
- Pituitary gland disorders
- Adrenal gland disorders
- Disorders of sex development (DSD)
- Transgender youth
- Ovarian disorders
- Diabetes
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- Obesity
- Lipid and lipoprotein disorders
- Calcium metabolism disorders, including hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia
Endocrine treatment and follow-up can be provided in hospital outpatient clinics or through community healthcare services. Care in a dedicated children’s hospital enables close collaboration between specialists from different medical fields and a multidisciplinary team that includes nurses, dietitians, psychologists, and social workers.
The hospital setting also provides access to comprehensive laboratory testing and diagnostic imaging, enabling fast and accurate evaluation. Urgent and complex cases can receive specialized multidisciplinary care as needed.
Transgender Children and Adolescents Clinic
The Transgender Children and Adolescents Clinic was established to provide specialized care for children and adolescents up to age 18 with gender dysphoria.
The term transgender describes a person whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned to them at birth. This incongruence may become apparent in early childhood and may be accompanied by distress related to the difference between a person’s gender identity, physical development, and how they are perceived by others. This distress is referred to as gender dysphoria.
A diagnosis of gender dysphoria is made only after a comprehensive assessment by an experienced professional. Children and adolescents diagnosed with gender dysphoria who are interested in medical intervention require close follow-up and support in a specialized clinic.
The clinic provides holistic, multidisciplinary care, with the team working closely together to offer personalized and comprehensive support tailored to the needs of each child or adolescent and their family.
Associated medical units
Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Clinics
Endocrinology Clinic
Conditions treated at the clinic:
- Growth and puberty – Short and tall stature, early or delayed puberty, absent or irregular menstruation, excessive hair growth, and acne. Genetic conditions including Turner syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome.
- Pituitary gland – Congenital or acquired hormone deficiencies, hormone-secreting tumors, central diabetes insipidus, and disorders of fluid and electrolyte balance.
- Thyroid gland – Congenital and acquired hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, thyroid enlargement, and thyroid tumors.
- Parathyroid glands – Hyperparathyroidism and hypoparathyroidism affecting calcium and phosphorus balance.
- Adrenal glands – Congenital or acquired adrenal insufficiency, excessive hormone secretion, and hormone-secreting adrenal tumors.
- Overweight and obesity in children
Diabetes Clinic
Conditions treated at the clinic:
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Symptoms may include excessive thirst and urination, nighttime urination or new-onset bedwetting, weight loss, increased appetite, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
If these symptoms occur, the child should be referred immediately to the Pediatric Emergency Department.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is caused by a combination of insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. It most commonly occurs in children and adolescents who are overweight and have a family history of diabetes.
Symptoms may include excessive thirst and urination, weight loss, skin or urinary tract infections, fungal infections, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.
Pediatric and Adolescent Lipid Clinic
The Pediatric and Adolescent Lipid Clinic at Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital is the first multidisciplinary clinic of its kind in Israel. The clinic provides diagnosis and treatment for children and adolescents with lipid disorders who are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease at a young age. Early detection and a personalized treatment plan can help prevent cardiovascular disease later in life.
Diagnosis and treatment are provided by a multidisciplinary team specializing in pediatrics, endocrinology, clinical nutrition, imaging, cardiology, and genetics. All specialists are part of the team at Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov).