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What is a pediatrician?

A pediatrician is a healthcare professional who treats conditions affecting the health of newborns, children, adolescents, and young adults, thus playing a vital role in a child's overall well-being. Along with treating injuries and complex health conditions, they also conduct regular checkups to evaluate the child. Pediatric care starts with infants and goes up to young adults and helps manage physical, behavioral, and developmental issues that affect children. 

Pediatricians undergo years of training before they start practicing. After completing their undergraduate degree, they attend four years of medical school, where they train in anatomy and physiology. They also do clinical rotations in different areas of medicine, including pediatrics, emergency medicine, neurology, psychiatry, and radiology. They then move on to a pediatric residency program, training in pediatric specialties such as newborn intensive care, general pediatrics, and developmental-behavioral pediatrics. They also gain skills and knowledge to treat various conditions in children.

Once they complete their residency, pediatricians can practice general pediatrics or attend fellowship programs for additional training in pediatric subspecialties.

What does a pediatrician do?

Pediatricians provide a wide range of services, such as performing well-baby checkups, managing chronic medical conditions, and providing preventive care. They also monitor your child's physical, emotional, and social development and ensure they meet developmental milestones. They diagnose and treat injuries, infections, and health conditions, administer vaccines, and provide health advice to new parents. 

At the beginning of your third trimester, pediatricians can also work for your prenatal care and coordinate with your delivery team. Pediatricians are the first to examine your baby after birth and keep records of their development. If your baby requires special care, the pediatrician may consult other specialists to help you understand the complex conditions and make decisions. 

What are some common pediatric specializations?

While some pediatricians work as primary care physicians, other pediatricians choose to specialize in a particular area, providing more focused care. These specialties include:

• Adolescent medicine: Pediatricians providing comprehensive care for adolescents.
• Critical care: Critical care pediatricians treat children in critical or unstable health conditions.
• Developmental behavioral: Developmental behavioral pediatricians diagnose and treat behavioral and learning problems in children and teenagers.
• Child abuse: Child abuse pediatricians train to deal with children and adolescents who have been neglected or abused.
• Oncology: Pediatric oncologists provide diagnosis and treatment of children with cancer.
• Cardiology: Pediatric cardiologists focus on identifying and managing heart conditions, specifically in children.
• Pulmonology: Pediatric pulmonologists treat children's lung conditions and breathing problems.
• Rheumatology: Pediatric rheumatologists treat musculoskeletal conditions such as chronic pain and arthritis in children and adolescents.
• Nephrology: Pediatric nephrologists treat conditions affecting the urinary system, such as urinary tract infections and kidney disease.
• Neurology: Pediatric neurologists diagnose and treat neurological disorders from childhood through adolescence. 
• Neonatal-perinatal: These specialists look after infants before and after birth.
• Gastroenterology: Pediatric gastroenterologists treat digestive problems in children.
• Endocrinology: Pediatric endocrinologists treat various conditions affecting the endocrine system, such as diabetes in children.

Depending on your child's symptoms and health goals, you may book an appointment with a specialist. However, a pediatrician serving as a primary care physician can be contacted first for checkups, immunizations, and treatment.

Why and when should you see a pediatrician near you?

Specialists such as family physicians or doctors treat patients of all ages. Often, people may choose them as the primary medical provider for their children and the rest of the family. However, this may be a personal choice; there are a few aspects to consider before picking the right specialist for your child's needs.

While primary care physicians or family doctors can also provide routine care to your children, a pediatrician is a better choice, considering they only see children and specialize solely in their ailments and conditions. Therefore, adding a pediatrician to your healthcare network can be highly beneficial in monitoring your children's overall health, given they are experts in the emotional, physical, and behavioral changes that a child may go through while growing up.

Pediatrician visits usually begin within 48-72 hours after birth and may continue until age 21. Initially, these visits are recommended every three months till the baby turns one and then every six months for the next few years. Eventually, they continue to take place annually to keep a check on the growth and development of your child in their early years. You may also schedule an appointment in case of an emergency or concerns about your child's health.

What does a pediatrician examine during your baby's checkup?

During each well-child visit, the pediatrician conducts a thorough examination covering several key areas to monitor your baby's health and development:

Growth assessment:

Your baby will be undressed and weighed on an infant scale, and her length will be measured on a flat table. A tape measure will be used to determine her head circumference. Each measurement will be charted to track growth patterns and compare them with averages for children of the same age.

Head examination:

The pediatrician will check the soft spots, or fontanelles, on your baby's head. The back fontanelle should close by two to three months of age, while the front should close around 18 months, marking normal skull development.

Ear inspection:

The doctor will examine your baby's ear canals and eardrums with an otoscope, checking for signs of infection or fluid buildup. You'll be asked about your baby's hearing responses, and formal tests will be conducted as needed.

Eye examination:

The pediatrician will assess your baby's eye tracking and movement using a light or bright object. The doctor may also use an ophthalmoscope to examine for conditions like cataracts.

Mouth check:

Your baby's mouth is inspected for infections and, later, to monitor teething progress.

Heart and lung evaluation:

With a stethoscope, the pediatrician listens to your child's heart and lungs, checking for abnormal rhythms or breathing issues.

Abdominal exam:

The pediatrician gently presses on the abdomen to ensure that organs are of average size and have no masses or tenderness.

Genital examination:

The genitalia are checked for any lumps, infections, or tenderness. For boys, the doctor ensures that the testes are appropriately descended.

Hip and leg movement:

The pediatrician examines the hip joints for dislocation signs. When your child begins walking, leg alignment and mobility are assessed.

Developmental milestones:

The pediatrician will discuss key milestones, such as smiling, rolling over, and walking, while assessing reflexes and muscle tone to ensure normal progress.

How do you find the best pediatricians near you in Decatur, GA?

Regular consultations with a pediatrician are essential. The specialist will provide health advice, conduct checkups, and ensure your child has timely immunizations. 

Zocdoc helps you bridge this gap with its directory to help you locate the best pediatricians in your area. You can search for specialists based on your location or symptoms and quickly book appointments from home. You can even include your insurance carrier's name in the search, and we will help you find all the pediatricians who accept your plan. Even if you've added your insurance information to your Zocdoc account to help locate in-network providers, bringing your insurance card to your appointment is still recommended. Many medical offices require a physical card for verification. For more insurance-related questions, please visit Zocdoc's patient help center.

Communicating with your doctor is an essential part of your treatment. We at Zocdoc take the patient-doctor connection very seriously. Each healthcare professional on board has a detailed profile, including their qualifications, accreditations, affiliations, awards, areas of expertise, experience, licensure, and ratings. You may filter this list of doctors based on gender, the languages they speak, and hospital affiliations. You can also access verified reviews from previous patients to make an informed decision.

Once you have chosen your pediatrician, you can instantly book an in-person or virtual appointment based on the provider's availability. All bookings with Zocdoc are simple, secure, and free of cost! Book an appointment with the best pediatricians near you today on Zocdoc.

Key birth statistics in the USA and Georgia

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reports that in 2022, approximately 3,667,758 children were born in the United States. Out of this, almost 77% of the children had prenatal care, 10.38% were born preterm, i.e., did not complete the 37 weeks of gestation, and 32.1% had a cesarean delivery.

3,667,758

The CDC also states that in Georgia, almost 7.08 of every 1000 children born in 2022 died in infancy. Georgia also ranks 3rd in the low birthweight rate among the states in the US, with 10.57% of children being born underweight. It also shows that with 11.87% of babies born preterm, the state ranks 5th among other states for the same. It also reports that 35.2% of the deliveries in Georgia in 2020 were cesarean. 

According to the Center for Children & Families, in 2023, about 6.4% of children in Georgia did not have health insurance. Uninsured children are more likely to have limited access to healthcare, and their wellness needs may need to be met.  

In 2022, around 59.5% of the population visited the pediatrician for well-child checkups in the first 15 months. Roughly 51.3% of children had developmental screening in the first three years. About 49% of adolescents between 12 and 17 visited the pediatrician. 

Sources

WebMD

Cleveland Clinic

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[1]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[2]

Medical News Today

Center for Children & Families

American Academy of Pediatrics

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.