The pediatrician is the professional responsible for taking care of the health of babies, children, and adolescents. In addition to helping the child's development, this professional helps with issues related to the routine, such as: food, sleep, breastfeeding, and vaccines.
Some fathers and first-time mothers, still in the gestation phase, may have doubts about the right time to take their child to a pediatrician. Therefore, choosing a trustworthy doctor is essential.
With that in mind, we have prepared this text with some tips and guidelines on how to choose the most suitable professional and when is the right time to look for him. Follow up!
How can a pediatrician help my child?
In addition to being able to monitor the development of a baby from prenatal care to adolescence, pediatricians carry out studies, treatments, and diagnoses related to diseases that may affect some of the patients.
Going to a pediatrician can help in the child's development and diagnose possible illnesses and prevent them from an early age.
It is also important to consider that this professional may have more than one medical specialty, such as immunology, nutrition, cardiology, among others. This can be a factor to be considered when choosing the professional who will serve your child.
When to take my child to the pediatrician?
The ideal is to seek out this specialist as soon as possible so that he can identify the baby's first moments of life and thus help fathers and mothers with the most appropriate guidelines. Some mothers choose to make their first appointment during prenatal care to meet the professional who will accompany their child for a few years.
Therefore, if you want to receive guidance related to the quality of sleep, food, heartbeat, breathing, among other factors related to the baby's health, it is recommended to go to a pediatrician so that you can receive professional and reliable information and care.
This specialist can also assist with issues related to weight gain, growth, breastfeeding, and heel testing.
The pediatrician can also be seen in cases of symptoms or signs of illness or emergencies.
The frequency of appointments will vary depending on the age of the baby, child, or adolescent. However, when you are a baby, the visits to this professional are greater. It is recommended that there are three monthly consultations for babies aged 5 to 30 days.
So, it is essential to talk to the specialist so that you can find out which frequency is most suitable according to the condition and age of each patient.
How does the first consultation work?
At the first appointment, the pediatrician will check the baby's weight and height and factors related to breastfeeding. The specialist also talks to the mother so that she can point out observations about the baby's first days of life and ask questions.
Cramps, sleeping or eating difficulties, or other problems or signs perceived by parents should be reported at the first visit.
When arriving at the office, it is essential to have the vaccination card and maternity data, including: weight, height, blood type of the mother and baby.
How to choose a pediatrician?
So far, you have understood how the pediatrician's role works and the right time to look for this specialist. But what about the professional, what are the criteria that can help in the choice?
As mentioned above, it is important that the professional has already been chosen before the moment of birth. And the first step in this choice is to seek references and indications from people close to you. Ask friends or relatives who already have children, which professionals they take their children to see.
Before defining who will be the specialist who will assist your child, it is also important to pay attention to their background, specialty and whether they communicate the guidelines clearly. In addition, issues such as the location of the office and availability of the pediatrician's schedule can make a difference at the time of decision.
In the end, what really matters is that you feel safe and comfortable with the professional.
Thus, even before the baby is born, it is important to choose a trustworthy specialist so that you can receive adequate guidance.
