A pediatrician is a doctor who has knowledge in the field of pediatrics, i.e. a branch of medicine dealing with childhood diseases. A pediatrician orders tests and, on the basis of them, diagnoses and treats children and adolescents from infants to 18 years of age. A doctor with a specialization in paediatrics received comprehensive education in almost every medical field.

Pediatricsis a very broad specialization that requires a doctor to have knowledge in various fields of medicine. All this so that the pediatrician could accurately and quickly diagnose diseases in children, and there are plenty of them. For this reason, there is a shortage of pediatricians in Poland, as well as internists - these specializations are associated with a lot of responsibility, and at the same time their completion is very labor-intensive and time-consuming.

Pediatrician - what does he / she do?

The pediatrician deals primarily with the diagnosis of diseases in children and adolescents, as well as their treatment. However, the duties of a pediatrician do not end there - in fact, he must constantly watch over the child's development by ordering and interpreting periodic examinations, ordering preventive vaccinations, and diagnosing developmental disorders. An important task of a pediatric specialist is to advise parents on the proper care of children and infants and the prevention of diseases that most often affect young patients.

In addition, this doctor must show appropriate character traits - he must like children, be able to talk to them, show patience and react appropriately when a young patient does not show willingness to cooperate. This is a completely different type of relationship than with adults. In this profession, intuition and intuition are also necessary, because the child is not always able to convey what is wrong with him.

When to visit the pediatrician?

You should visit the pediatrician whenever you are worried about a symptom of a child, and in particular:

  • elevated temperature,
  • cough, runny nose,
  • excessive tearfulness,
  • excessive sleepiness, child's lethargy,
  • no reaction to external stimuli: our gestures, voice, facial expressions,
  • bloated tummy,
  • diarrhea and constipation,
  • vomiting,
  • lack of appetite,
  • rashes and skin lesions,
  • difficulties with sucking on the breast and a pacifier,
  • excessive drooling,
  • squint,
  • delayed motor development,
  • difficulty concentrating and remembering,
  • hyperactivity

… and many more.

How to choose a good pediatrician?

You may find him the first time. But it can also be difficult for you to find a doctor who can meet even half of your expectations. In any case, be prepared for the fact that your search forpediatricianwill take some time, so start it before the birth. Start with your local clinic - and what if a miracle will happen and it turns out that there is an excellent doctor who is praised by all the mothers in the area. But you better not go there yourself - a visit to a place where many patients are daily, is not recommended in an advanced pregnancy. Ask a loved one for help - let them find out what the pediatrician is receiving and collect opinions about him or her from mothers waiting in front of the office. Ask your friends, maybe they have their own pediatrician and are satisfied with it. Also, look for help on regional internet forums - mothers often exchange experiences in this way and recommend specific specialists. Regonization no longer applies, so you can choose a pediatrician who can see you at the clinic on the other side of the city. However, take into account the issue of traveling with your toddler to the clinic (and whether the doctor will be able to come to you). You can also visit the pediatrician privately.

What should you pay attention to when choosing a doctor?

Features of a good pediatrician - what should you pay attention to?

How the pediatrician treats your baby

The little patient should be as happy with the visit as you are. So watch how the doctor treats your baby (and how he or she responds to him). Is he patient? Does he make sure that the toddler does not lie on a cold couch during the examination and that the examination is not stressful for him? Can he entertain the baby in such a way or distract him so that he does not cry, and the visit orvaccinationassociated him with something nice only? It is also important whether the doctor opens a card for the child or enters the past infections in the he alth book - thanks to this, in the future it will be possible to quickly determine what diseases the child has already suffered and how it reacted to the medications. A good pediatrician will also recommend an infection check to see if your baby is completely he althy. He should also remember about check-ups, he alth balances and remind about the dates of vaccinations.

Do you enjoy talking to your child's pediatrician

You can't feel embarrassed in the office. Better avoid the doctors whocreate an official atmosphere, react impatiently to your inquisitive questions and to those you feel urged on. The visit should not last less than 15-20 minutes. During this time, the pediatrician should not only provide you with comprehensive information about the baby's he alth, clarify all doubts, but also inform you how and when to administer the drugs.

It is important that you have confidence in your child's pediatrician

A pediatrician does not have to be a professor, but it is good for him to have experience and update his knowledge. The confirmation may be, for example, training completion certificates hanging on the walls in the office. But the real test of his competence will be effective treatment. If your toddler is still coughing after a week of taking medication and the pediatrician ignores your doubts, look for another specialist. Do the same when you feel that you need to confirm each diagnosis with a different doctor or he is constantly prescribing the same drugs. If you have a choice, go to the doctor who works at the children's hospital. This guarantees professionalism and being up to date with the latest knowledge, as well as quick help in case of problems.

Important

Check if contact with the pediatrician will be possible around the clock

The little ones often get sick at night. Therefore, contact with a doctor must be possible around the clock. The pediatrician should not only give you the telephone numbers on which he will be available (mobile, home or work), but also encourage you to call him at any time if necessary. And if he is away often, he should also give you phone calls to other doctors who can replace him.

The distance to the doctor is also important. If you do not have a car, find out if a doctor will be able to reach you if necessary, or if you are able to call a taxi to get to the office. And of course - how much will you pay for a home visit.

The article uses excerpts from Katarzyna Hubicz's text en titled "How to find a good pediatrician" from the monthly "Zdrowie".

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