Reasons to Visit a Pediatrician Q&A

Pediatricians offer many areas of care from newborns through the teen years. They provide primary care, the day-to-day kind of things like dealing with earaches, colds, flu, and so on. They will do annual check-ups to diagnose and treat problems that can arise. They can provide advice to help you raise your child in a happy and healthy way. The pediatrician will get the vaccines your child needs to begin school, provide education and advice for you and make sure your child is growing as they should. If there are specific issues, they can refer you to a specialist that can address what needs to be done.
 
A pediatrician will diagnose and treat acute and chronic issues. They can often treat complex medical needs.
 
A pediatrician will work to promote the health of your child. Like you, they want to see that your child is healthy, providing nutritional advice, recommendations for physical activity, and injury prevention. They can also help with behavioral issues, should they arise.

Once you know that you are pregnant, you will probably start to look for a pediatrician. It is recommended that after the 30th week of pregnancy, it is time to make an appointment with a pediatrician or a few different pediatricians to find out about them. You certainly want to get started while you have some time to make a decision on whom you want to see. You will also want to get started on some aspects of prenatal care.
 
Be sure that the pediatrician that you choose is board certified. You will want to make sure that they have completed their residency.
 
It’s always a good idea to ask people you know what they have done and what they wish they had done differently when deciding on a pediatrician. Ask them when they started, if they felt it was too soon or too late.

You can find out a great deal about a doctor in the first meeting. You want to find someone that you are going to be comfortable with. Comfort is important as there will be times that you may be talking about sensitive issues and will want to talk to someone you trust.
 
You will want to ask the prospective doctor:
 
What is their availability in the case of an emergency?
Do their office hours work with your schedule?
Ask how they would support your decisions about feeding your child.
What do we do when an emergency arises and the doctor isn’t available?
Can we call with questions that may not require an office visit? Is there a fee for that?
How long are office visits?
How will you help me understand my child’s development?
 
There are many other questions that you can ask that will be specific to you and your personal concerns. Make a list of those so that you can ask them.

Sometimes a simple phone call is what you will need to determine if you should be concerned, especially if you are a new parent. But there are signs that you may want to be aware of so that you can make the right decision concerning your child’s wellbeing.
 
Things to look for:
 
• A high or continuous fever 
• Breathing problems – is it fast, labored, or noisy
• Is your child dealing with persistent pain – ongoing earache, sore throat, headaches
• Is there discharge from the eye that is thick, eyelids sticking shut, and doesn’t get better during the day
• A lack of energy, or stiffness may be cause for concern
 
If any of these are cause for concern, contact the doctors at Pediatrics of Frisco or request an appointment online. We serve patients from Frisco TX, Little Elm TX, The Colony TX, McKinney TX, Prosper TX, Aubrey TX, Oak Point TX, Lakewood Village TX, Plano TX, and Dallas TX.