Dr. Karthika IK
Associate Consultant - Paediatric Neurology
Dr. Karthika serves as an Associate Consultant in Paediatric Neurology at Aster MIMS, Kannur, bringing with her a strong academic background and extensive clinical expertise. She has trained at some of India’s leading hospitals. She completed her MBBS from Government Medical College, Trivandrum, followed by an MD in Pediatrics from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, and also holds the Diplomate of National Board (DNB) in Pediatrics.
She has over two years of experience as a Senior Resident in Pediatrics at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, where she gained comprehensive training across the spectrum of pediatric illnesses. Pursuing her passion for child neurology, she undertook a prestigious two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Neurology at Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. This program provided her with advanced training and broad exposure to rare and complex pediatric neurological disorders.
In addition to her Indian qualifications, Dr. Karthika has successfully cleared three parts of the MRCPCH (UK) examination from the Royal college of paediatrics and child health, underscoring her international academic standing and commitment to the highest standards of pediatric care. Her clinical interests include childhood epilepsy, neurodevelopmental disorders, neuromuscular diseases, pediatric stroke, and a wide range of acute and chronic neurological conditions in children.
Dr. Karthika is dedicated to delivering evidence-based, patient-centered neurological care and to advancing pediatric health outcomes. She strongly believes in listening to families, answering their questions, and supporting each child with the best possible treatment.
Clinical Expertise
- Comprehensive evaluation and management of childhood epilepsy, including drug-resistant epilepsies and presurgical evaluation.
- Expertise in developmental and behavioural neurology – autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, intellectual disability, learning disorders, and cerebral palsy.
- Management of neonatal neurology conditions – neonatal seizures, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, prematurity-related brain injury, intraventricular hemorrhage, and neurodevelopmental follow-up.
- Acute neurological emergencies – status epilepticus, CNS infections (meningitis, encephalitis), pediatric stroke, metabolic crises, and demyelinating disorders.
- Neuromuscular disorders – Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), congenital myopathies, peripheral neuropathies, and neuromuscular junction disorders (myasthenia gravis).\
- Neurogenetic and metabolic neurology – inherited metabolic disorders, mitochondrial disorders, leukodystrophies, lysosomal storage disorders, and rare genetic syndromes.
- Headache and movement disorders – pediatric migraine, chronic daily headache, tic disorders, dystonia, chorea, and ataxias.
- Neuroimmunology and demyelinating diseases – acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), MOG antibody disease, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and pediatric multiple sclerosis.
- Neurocutaneous syndromes and neuro-oncology – tuberous sclerosis complex, neurofibromatosis, Sturge-Weber syndrome, and brain tumors.
- Sleep neurology – sleep-related epilepsy, parasomnias, narcolepsy, and other pediatric sleep disorders.
- Long-term follow-up of children with hydrocephalus, cerebral malformations, craniosynostosis, and post-neurosurgical care.
- Strong background in multidisciplinary care involving rehabilitation, psychology, and allied specialties.
Procedural / Diagnostic Expertise
- Pediatric EEG reporting and video-EEG monitoring.
- Interpretation of pediatric neuroimaging (MRI/CT).
- Nerve conduction studies and EMG in children.
- Developmental assessments and neuropsychological screening tools.
- Received first prize for Poster presentation in National Conference of Pediatric Infectious Diseases in 2021
- Received first prize in Oral presentation in State Respiratory Conference in 2020
- All India runner up in postgraduate quiz conducted by Indian Academy of Pediatrics nationwide in the year 2020
- Presented posters and oral papers in state conferences and attended advanced ventilator support (Pediatric and Neonatal) workshops conducted by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics
- Completed Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), Basic and Advanced Neonatal Resuscitation Programme (NRP) training
- Received second prize in research presentation at national pediatric neurology conference-(Association of child Neurologist-AOCN) in February 2024
Publications in Journals
1. Oral Azithromycin Versus Doxycycline in the Treatment of Children With Uncomplicated Scrub Typhus: A Randomized Controlled Trial.The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 10.1097/INF.0000000000003372.
2.Should High Flow Nasal Cannula Therapy Be the Primary Mode of Respiratory Support in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit? Questions Remain! Indian Pediatrics. 10.1007/s13312-021-2206-6.
3.Neurotoxic Snake Envenomation: Neostigmine-Induced Paradoxical Weakness. Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 10.1007/s12098-020-03602-7.
4.COVID-19 related multi-inflammatory syndrome presenting with uveitis. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. 10.4103/ijo.IJO_52_21.
5.Respiratory Alkalosis in Neurodegenerative Disorder. Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 10.1007/s12098-020-03288-x.
6.Profile and Outcome of Childhood Hydrocarbon Poisoning: An Observational Study. Cureus. 10.7759/cureus.20144.
7.Clinical, laboratory profile and outcomes in children with snakebite from eastern India. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1965_22.
8.Macrolides versus other antibiotics in pediatric scrub typhus: a meta-analysis. Indian Journal of Microbiology. 10.1016/j.ijmmb.2023.100460.
9.Multiple fractures with bony deformities: an unusual clinical presentation of distal renal tubular acidosis. Research and Reviews in Paediatrics. 10.4103/rp.rrp_12_24
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