Meryem Necafi, MD

Meryem Necafi, MD is a pediatrician at Acibadem Kozyatagi Hospital in İstanbul, where she works in the Pediatrics unit. Her practice covers the care of newborns, infants and children, including well-child and newborn follow-up, the diagnosis and treatment of childhood infectious diseases, upper respiratory tract illnesses, nutrition-related concerns and childhood developmental disorders. She has more than 31 years in medicine.

Dr. Necafi graduated from Iran Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Faculty of Medicine in 1995. She then completed her specialty training in Child Health and Diseases at Marmara University Faculty of Medicine Department of Child Health and Diseases in 2004. She has been working with Acıbadem Healthcare Services since 2005 and is a member of the Turkish Medical Association. Her published work includes a study on the effect of the mode of delivery on neonatal thyroid function and a study on the effects of iron deficiency on neutrophil/monocyte apoptosis in children.

Clinical focus

A large part of Dr. Necafi’s work is routine pediatric follow-up. This includes newborn follow-up in the first weeks of life and well-child follow-up as children grow, with monitoring of childhood nutrition disorders where feeding or weight gain is a concern. In infants she assesses and manages common early problems such as infant colic, gas pain and infant lactose intolerance, and she follows children in whom a developmental disorder is suspected or has been identified.

She also diagnoses and treats childhood infectious diseases, including upper respiratory tract illnesses and chickenpox. The approach in each case depends on the child’s age, symptoms and history, and treatment decisions are made after a clinical examination and, where appropriate, review of any available test results.

How Dr. Necafi works with international patients

Dr. Necafi 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 ultrasound or X-ray reports, laboratory and pathology results, and discharge summaries, and arranges appointments and the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the child’s history and current symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their child’s situation before travelling or to follow up after a visit; the suitability of a remote consultation depends on the nature of the concern, and some assessments require an in-person examination.