Most children's hospitals can serve people from birth up to the age of 21.
[1][2][3] The number of children's hospitals proliferated in the 20th century, as pediatric medical and surgical specialties separated from internal medicine and adult surgical specialties.
Some children and young people have to spend relatively long periods in the hospital, so having access to play and teaching staff can also be an important part of their care.
A medical doctor that undertakes vocational training in pediatrics must also be accepted for membership by a professional college before they can practice pediatrics.
While many normal hospitals can treat children adequately, pediatric specialists may be a better choice when it comes to treating rare afflictions that may prove fatal or severely detrimental to young children, in some cases before birth.