This branch, equivalent to pediatrics, deals
with prenatal and postnatal baby care as well as the care of
a woman before and during pregnancy. It also covers various
diseases of children and their treatment.
Attention to children and their health care have been bestowed
upon ever since the earliest times. The religious texts like
Grhyasastra and ayurvedic Samhitas describe
the performance of jatakarma, etc in detail. AtharvaVeda and
Kausikasutra mention grahas and krimis
that are considered as the common cause for ailments. Kautilya
mentions kaumarabhrtya in relation to care of pregnant
women.
Acharya Kasyapa is considered to be the foremost authority
in Kaumarabhrtya. Sushruta says that Kaumarabhrtya
deals with management of the child purification of the breast
milk, treatment of diseases caused by vitiated milk and grahas.
Dalhana commenting on this adds that vitiated milk causes innate
diseases while grahas produce exogenous disorders. Buddhists
call this branch as Darakachikitsa. Kerala is a place
where this branch had developed to that extent that some of
its vernacular books mention poliomyelitis and its treatment.
Visha Chikitsa( Toxicology)
Graha Chikitsa( Psychiatry)
Rasayana Chikitsa( Rejuvenation
therapy)
Salakya Chikitsa (ENT
and eye diseases)
Vajeekarana Chikitsa(Aphrodisiac
therapy)