Who is a pediatric endocrinologist?
Endocrinology is the study of the endocrine system, which comprises your endocrine glands (adrenal, thyroid, parathyroid, and pituitary glands), endocrine organs (hypothalamus, pancreas, ovaries, and testes), and hormones. Pediatric endocrinologists diagnose and treat conditions related to your child's hormones. They differ from general endocrinologists as they receive specialized training in endocrine disorders affecting your child's growth and development.
Education and training of pediatric endocrinologists
Pediatric endocrinologists undergo rigorous training, starting with a pre-medical undergraduate degree. Next, they spend four years in medical school, graduate with an MD or a DO degree, and complete a three-year residency program in general pediatrics. Following that, they enroll in an ACGME (Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education) recognized pediatric endocrinology fellowship, a three-year intensive training program focusing on diagnosing and training endocrine conditions.
While board certification is optional, doctors can obtain it after completing the fellowship. In order to be a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist, they must earn two certifications from the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) - first in general pediatrics and next in pediatric endocrinology.
What conditions does a pediatric endocrinologist treat?
If your child's primary care physician suspects they have an illness related to their hormones or hormone-producing glands, the doctor might refer you to a pediatric endocrinologist near you, who can diagnose and treat a variety of conditions, such as:
- Diabetes: In type 1 diabetes, your child's pancreas cannot produce insulin due to an autoimmune attack. In type 2 diabetes, the body cannot use the insulin its pancreas produces. Insulin injections, pens, pumps, and continuous glucose monitoring help with type 1 diabetes management, whereas treatment options for type 2 diabetes include medication and lifestyle changes.
- Goiter: Goiter is a condition in which your child's thyroid gland grows unusually large. Symptoms of this condition include a scratchy voice, a lump in the front of the neck, swelling of the neck veins, and a feeling of tightness around the throat area. Goiter is treatable with the help of medications, radioactive iodine treatment, and surgery.
- Obesity: Obesity is when a person has too much body mass. Childhood obesity is measured based on your child's growth charts. Excessive body fat can cause health complications like asthma, back pain, gout, mood disorders, and sleep apnea. Treatment options for obesity include dietary changes, medications, and behavioral therapy.
- Hypopituitarism: Your child's pituitary gland secretes adrenocorticotropic hormone, antidiuretic hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, growth hormone, oxytocin, prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. Hypopituitarism is a rare condition in which one or more of these hormones are deficient. Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and hormone replacement therapy.
- Turner syndrome: Turner syndrome occurs when a baby assigned female at birth is born with a partial or missing X chromosome. This condition can result in stunted growth and delayed sexual development (absence of periods, low levels of estrogen, might not develop breasts without hormone therapy, etc.). While Turner syndrome is not curable, treatments and medicines can help manage its symptoms.
- Prader-Willi syndrome: If the genes on chromosome 15 lose function, it can lead to Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic condition affecting your child's metabolism. Its symptoms include fatigue, weak muscles, sleep disturbances, and poor feeding ability. Hormonal medications, a low-calorie diet, and supportive therapies can control the symptoms and prevent health complications like hypertension and heart disease.
- Addison's disorder: It is a condition where your child's adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol and aldosterone hormones. The symptoms of this condition include fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, dehydration, and muscle pain. It is treatable with medications.
- Cushing syndrome: Cushing syndrome, also known as hypercortisolism, is a rare condition in which your child's body produces too much cortisol. If untreated, this illness can cause health complications like weight gain, heart disease, infections, or even be fatal. There are a number of surgical and non-surgical treatment options for this condition.
What to expect at an appointment with your child's pediatric endocrinologist
During the first visit to a pediatric endocrinologist, the doctor will collect information about your child's medical history and enquire about the prevalent medical conditions in your family. The doctor might also suggest diagnostic tests for your child, including blood tests and X-rays.
After making a diagnosis, your doctor will go over the possible treatment options. They can also refer you to a suitable specialist if surgery is required. During future visits, your child will undergo treatment for their condition, typically including radiation therapy, counseling, and advice regarding their diet and lifestyle.
Why is it important for your child to see a pediatric endocrinologist?
Endocrine disorders often have symptoms that may seem harmless. But they could indicate an underlying hormonal imbalance. For example, issues like frequent urination may be a result of drinking too much water to feel better if you are dehydrated, but excessive thirst could also be a symptom of high blood sugar, which in turn could mean diabetes. These symptoms also vary widely depending on age.
Compared to an adult, the signs of an endocrine disorder could take months or even years to show up in children, depending on the endocrine gland involved. Some common signs of endocrine conditions in children include- fatigue, irritability, unexplained weight loss or weight gain, failure to meet growth and development milestones, and headaches. There are also some risk factors like obesity and genetics that increase the risk of endocrine disorders.
Pediatric endocrinologists are experts who receive special training in treating problems that are exclusive to children and teenagers. They deal with hormonal as well as growth and development disorders at all stages of childhood. They also understand that growing children have special needs and are not just small adults. In addition to diagnosing and treating endocrine illnesses, they are also sensitive to the psychological impact of endocrine problems on children. For example, growth or sexual development issues can significantly impact a child's physical and emotional well-being.
Pediatric endocrinologists also work with a team of healthcare professionals, such as nurses, psychologists, pediatric diabetes educators, and nutritionists, who are experienced in providing care to children and understanding their needs. They also coordinate care with a child's pediatrician, primary care doctors, and other medical specialists. Therefore, they are an invaluable resource to parents and caregivers who are trying to figure out the cause of their child's health problems.
You may require a referral from your child's pediatrician or primary care provider to see a pediatric endocrinologist. Endocrine problems can often be detected during your child's annual wellness check-up. For example, your pediatrician may notice your child is behind on the growth chart. In this case, your child's pediatrician will refer you to a pediatric endocrinologist.
How to find the right pediatric endocrinologist near you?
With Zocdoc, finding the right endocrinologist for your child has never been easier! To get started, visit the website and create a free account. Next, enter your location, specialty, preferred date, and time of appointment. The website will generate a list of doctors who match all your search criteria.
On Zocdoc, each doctor has a dedicated profile containing information about their educational background, specialties, certifications, and experience. The profiles also include ratings and reviews from past patients, which help you make an informed decision while selecting a healthcare provider.
Additionally, Zocdoc lets you search for in-network providers. Select your carrier and plan from a drop-down menu on the website to narrow your search results down to pediatric endocrinologists who accept your insurance. If finding your insurance plan manually from the drop-down menu was unsuccessful, you can try uploading a photo of your insurance card. Zocdoc will then scan the image of your card and show you a plan that matches best. Note this is only applicable to medical insurance cards. Dental and vision are excluded. If you need help uploading your card or have other unanswered questions, contact Zocdoc's service team. You can go through Zocdoc's patient help center for more insurance-related information.
You can book both in-person and online sessions via Zocdoc. While browsing the list of doctors matching your criteria, look for a purple video icon beside their name. The presence of this icon indicates that the pediatric endocrinologist near you offers virtual consultations.
All bookings made via Zocdoc are simple, secure, and completely free!
Statistics related to childhood obesity and diabetes
Per the CDC National Center for Health Statistics data brief, the prevalence of childhood obesity was approximately 19.7% among 2-19-year-olds between 2017 and 2020, affecting around 14.7 million children and teens. Further, KFF analysis of federal survey data (2020-2021) found that over one in six children were obese. According to the same report, asthma, hyperlipidemia, anemia, hypertension, and diabetes were the most common co-occurring medical conditions among 10-17-year-olds who were obese and covered by Medicaid.
Based on the data recorded by the American Diabetes Association, around 244,000 children and adolescents had type 1 diabetes in 2019. Moreover, according to the National Diabetes Statistics Report, 352,000 children and adolescents younger than 20 (35 per 10,000 US youths) were diagnosed with diabetes in 2021. Out of these, 304,000 had type 1 diabetes.
Sources
KFF
WebMD
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[1]
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Cleveland Clinic[10]
\American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
HealthyChildren.org
