The History of Child Neurology in Iran: From Ancient Times to the Present
Iranian Journal of Child Neurology,
Vol. 20 No. 4 (2026),
1 September 2026
,
Page e1
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijcn.v20i4.52731
Abstract
Objectives:
To describe the historical development of child neurology in Iran, from early Persian–Islamic medical concepts of neurological disease to contemporary subspecialty practice, education, research, and service delivery.
Materials & Methods:
This narrative historical review synthesized accessible peer-reviewed publications, institutional histories, university and hospital documents, professional-society resources, and publicly available records concerning Persian medical scholarship, medical education, pediatric hospitals, subspecialty training, neonatal care, epilepsy services, newborn screening, and neurogenetics in Iran. When historical dates or attributions were inconsistent, they were interpreted cautiously and reported as approximate or unspecified.
Results:
Early Persian and Islamic medical traditions, including the works associated with Rhazes, Avicenna, and Jorjani, documented observations relevant to seizures, paralysis, developmental disorders, and cranial nerve function, although child neurology was not yet a distinct specialty. Modern development was facilitated by nineteenth-century educational reform, especially Dar al-Funun, followed by the establishment of pediatric teaching and referral hospitals, including Bahrami Children’s Hospital, Children’s Medical Center, and Mofid Children’s Hospital. Integration of medical education and health services after 1985 strengthened specialty training and referral systems. Contemporary child neurology includes structured two-year subspecialty training, pediatric clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy fellowship programs, long-term video-electroencephalography monitoring, epilepsy monitoring units, neonatal intensive care expansion, newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria, neurogenetic resources such as Iranome, dedicated research centers, and an indexed specialty journal. Persistent challenges include uneven regional access, economic constraints, sanctions-related procurement barriers, and workforce migration.
Conclusion:
Child neurology in Iran has evolved from descriptive neurological knowledge embedded in Persian–Islamic medicine into a hospital-based, research-oriented pediatric subspecialty. Future progress depends on retaining the specialist workforce, strengthening provincial referral pathways, expanding registries and genomic capacity, and improving resilience of clinical and research infrastructure
- History of medicine
- Iran
- Epilepsy
- Child Neurology
- Medical Education
How to Cite
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