ABSTRACT
The art of examining a child should be mastered to elicit key history and findings, which can be easily masked otherwise. Not only the parents but the children are apprehensive, and the examiner must be gentle and patient while examining the child. The examination room must be well lit, uncrowded, and child-friendly to create a relaxing environment. Never miss an opportunity to observe the child’s spontaneous activities and gait as they can give important clues. An irritable child can be given the comfort of getting examined on the mother’s lap. It is important to establish a rapport and gain confidence before the examination. Address the parents’/grandparents’ concern with patience, and often they can give key details that help in establishing the diagnosis. You should explain to both the parents and the children what is going to be done. Show empathy, rub your palms, and examine the child with warm hands. Do the examination on the normal side by which you can gain confidence and assess what is normal. If a maneuver hurts the child, try to avoid that and if it is essential, perform it at the end of the examination.
