Available on CALL: AIIMS Doctors to now give Telephonic Consultation

She said, "More than half of the patients seeking pediatric consultations have neurodevelopmental disorders. The interplay of multiple social and demographic factors in the developing world adversely influence childhood neurodevelopment."

"This may get translated into the impaired long-term neurocognitive outcome, significant losses to the workforce and impeded national development. These morbidities often get ignored as public health priorities because of lack of indigenous evidence," Gulati said.

The objective of staring the helpline and teleconsultation service is to answer the queries of parents and care providers of all infants, children and adolescents aged one to 18 years and also to make a digital registry of the queries put forth by the parents and the answers provided to them.

Patel said, "With an improvement in survival of sick newborns and reduction in under five child mortality rate, there is a paradigm shift from improved survival to looking at the neurodevelopmental challenges in these children.

"As most of these disorders last a lifespan, the helpline and teleconsultation service will help in improving the quality of life of families with such children," she said.