Demet Matben, MD

Demet Matben, MD is a pediatrician at Acibadem Fulya Hospital in İstanbul, where she works in the Pediatrics unit. Her clinical work covers the care of newborns, infants, children and adolescents, with a particular focus on newborn follow-up, neonatal jaundice, infant colic, common respiratory illnesses of childhood and the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric infectious diseases. She has more than 35 years in medicine.

Dr. Matben graduated from Ege University Faculty of Medicine in 1991 and completed her specialty training at the Şişli Etfal Training and Research Hospital Department of Child Health and Diseases in 1997. She then worked at Tatvan Devlet Hospital from 1997 to 1998 and at Özel Levent Hospital from 1998 to 2009. She joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2009. She is a member of the Türk Pediatri Association and the İstanbul Medical Chamber.

Clinical focus

A substantial part of Dr. Matben’s practice concerns the first weeks and months of life. This includes newborn follow-up, in which growth, feeding and development are monitored over a series of visits, and the assessment of neonatal jaundice, where the level of bilirubin and the age of the infant guide whether observation or treatment is appropriate. She also sees infants with colic, a common cause of prolonged crying in otherwise well babies, and supports families in distinguishing it from other conditions that may require investigation.

In older children and adolescents, her work centers on child and adolescent health and on the common illnesses of childhood. She evaluates and treats upper respiratory tract infections and croup, an inflammation of the upper airway that produces a characteristic cough and can affect breathing in young children. Within pediatric infectious diseases, she diagnoses and manages a range of conditions, including viral exanthems such as rubella and measles. Assessment in these cases typically involves a clinical examination, consideration of the child’s vaccination history and, where indicated, laboratory testing, followed by a treatment plan adapted to the child’s age and general condition.

How Dr. Matben works with international patients

Dr. Matben consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for families who speak other languages. Before a visit, the Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as laboratory results, ultrasound or X-ray reports, vaccination records and discharge summaries, arranges appointments and organises the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the child’s history and symptoms, a review of existing test results and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the options with the parents or caregivers. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss a case or review findings before or after traveling. Any recommendation is based on the individual child’s presentation, and the course of follow-up is agreed with the family according to the clinical situation.