Who is a pediatrician?
As a parent or caregiver, your utmost priority is ensuring your child's healthy growth and development. It would help if you made all the right choices and decisions for their well-being. With the assistance of pediatric care, parents and caregivers are well-guided and equipped to look after the well-being of their children. Pediatrics is a branch of medical study that focuses on providing health care to infants, children, adolescents, and even young adults. A pediatrician is a healthcare expert who specializes in pediatrics.
Children undergo rapid physical, emotional, and behavioral changes as they grow. They possess distinct requirements that physicians typically focus on in adult care and may need to address adequately. With a pediatrician's supervision, you can ensure that your child receives the best medical care.
What does a pediatrician do?
Pediatricians shoulder a diverse array of responsibilities. They:
- Well-child visits: Conduct routine checkups to monitor and enhance a child's overall health.
- Physical exams: Assess a child's health and development through thorough examinations.
- Developmental tracking: Monitor physical, emotional, and social development over time.
- Diagnosis and treatment: Detect and treat various health conditions and injuries.
- Immunization: Administer vaccines to protect against infectious diseases.
- Medication prescriptions: Prescribe medication as needed for specific conditions.
- Parental support: Actively address parents' concerns about a child's health.
- Health guidance: Provide advice on nutrition, exercise, and safety.
- Specialist referral: Refer to specialists when specialized care is necessary.
What are the qualifications and training of a pediatrician?
Pediatricians undergo extensive education and training. Upon completing four years of undergraduate education, individuals experience four years of medical school, followed by a minimum of three years devoted to a specialized pediatric residency program. While many pediatricians work as primary care physicians, some may specialize in treating specific medical conditions or age groups.
Subspecialties offered include:
- Adolescent Medicine: deals with care during adolescence
- Child abuse Pediatrics: deals with children who may have experienced abuse or neglect
- Critical Care Pediatrics: treats children in unstable and vital conditions
- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: diagnose and treat developmental, learning, and behavioral issues
- Neonatal-perinatal Pediatrics: provide care to newborns, especially premature and critically ill newborns
- Pediatric Cardiology: treat heart conditions in Children
- Pediatric Endocrinology: focus on the endocrine system and hormones (including diabetes)
- Pediatric Gastroenterology: treat issues related to the digestive system
- Pediatric Neurology: treat neurological disorders from diagnosis through adolescence
- Pediatric Nephrology: focus on conditions that affect the urinary system
- Pediatric Oncology: diagnose and treat different types of cancer in children
- Pediatric Pulmonology deals with children who experience breathing problems and lung diseases.
- Pediatric Rheumatology: treats children with musculoskeletal disorders
Choosing between a pediatrician and your family doctor is a personal decision for your child. While your family physician can also care for your child's health and well-being, a trained pediatrician will provide routine care. Since pediatricians specialize in this childcare-specific field and only see children, they have better experience recognizing and treating any concerns. Timely treatment of any symptoms helps prevent them from getting worse.
What are some common pediatric diseases?
Pediatric diseases encompass a range of medical conditions that specifically affect children. These can include mild illnesses, infections, as well as long-term disorders. Children under five are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, mumps, HIV, and diarrhea. You should consult a pediatrician if you observe any symptoms indicative of an infection or non-communicable illness.
Outlined below are some common illnesses in children:
- Pneumonia: It is the inflammation of one or both lungs' air sacs. Symptoms associated with this infection include a cough with phlegm, chills, fever, and difficulty breathing. Factors such as undernutrition, lack of clean water and sanitation, indoor air pollution, and limited access to healthcare are primary causes of pneumonia.
- Common cold: While viruses are the primary cause of colds, it's worth noting that they can also manifest as a symptom of an underlying condition. Young children, especially those in daycare settings, can contract six to eight colds yearly due to exposure to various pathogens. Common cold symptoms include coughing, a runny nose, and congestion.
- Diarrhea: Diarrhea is a prevalent disease among children, particularly those who are under five years old. Dietary changes, food allergies, or viral infections can cause diarrhea. Children are more susceptible to digestive problems due to their weaker immune systems.
- Ear infections: Bacterial or viral infections can lead to ear infections, among the most common childhood illnesses. Symptoms may include earache, ear tugging, fever, and difficulty sleeping.
- Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD): Although such conditions are not severe, these are highly contagious and most commonly affect newborns and children under five. Symptoms of HFMD can include skin rashes, fever, oral sores, and flu-like symptoms.
Given that many diseases can present similar symptoms, it is crucial to consult the best pediatrician near you to determine the specific cause of any symptoms they may be experiencing. It is also vital if your child has a pre-existing medical condition or allergy.
How often should you take your child to a pediatrician?
It's advisable to start searching for a pediatrician during the final trimester of your pregnancy. As per the American Academy of Pediatrics, prenatal visits with your pediatrician are crucial, especially for first-time parents and those facing complications or a high-risk pregnancy. Your prenatal visit provides essential information and establishes the groundwork for a trusting relationship with your pediatrician, who will play a pivotal role in fulfilling your child's healthcare needs for the next 18-21 years.
During these visits, your pediatrician guides you, offering valuable information on safety measures, immunizations, breastfeeding, and more. As a parent, you will have multiple questions and concerns about your baby, all of which your pediatrician is well-equipped to address. Additionally, the pediatrician may assess your health status to check that you are physically and mentally prepared to care for your baby post-birth.
It's natural to feel stressed and overwhelmed by the responsibilities of a newborn. Seeking the assistance of a pediatrician can help you understand and cope with these feelings healthily. After your baby's birth, schedule a visit with their doctor within 3-5 days. Subsequently, your baby will require at least six additional visits at specific intervals, including one, two, four, six, nine, and 12 months old. Your pediatrician will see them every 3-6 months in the second year. Once your child reaches age four, annual checkups become routine, continuing through childhood and adolescence.
When should you make an appointment with a pediatrician?
You can visit a pediatrician for any of the following reasons:
- To get a routine health and wellness checkup for your child
- To get any vaccinations that your child requires
- To track your child's overall development
- To diagnose and treat any illnesses, injuries, or other health conditions
- To address any concerns for your child's health and well-being.
The most common concerns in children are sore throat, ear pain, urinary tract infection, skin infections, cough, and the common cold. If you have any queries about appropriate healthcare for your child, we recommend finding a good pediatrician that suits every need.
How do I find the right pediatrician?
While looking for a pediatrician, you may have specific concerns regarding their professional experience, clinic setting, accepted insurance, etc. Thus, you should find the best pediatrician near you that fits every checkbox. To ensure that you're making the right choice, you can consider the following questions:
- What is this doctor's training and professional experience?
- Does this doctor listen to me and explain things clearly?
- Will my child be seeing the pediatrician at every visit?
- Who covers for this doctor when he is not available?
- How are emergencies handled?
- Is the clinic staff pleasant and helpful?
- Is the clinic location convenient for me (especially in emergencies)?
- Does my insurance cover this pediatrician's services?
Finding the best pediatrician near you in Everett, Washington
Finding a qualified and experienced pediatrician is critical for your child's well-being. At Zocdoc, we take the doctor-patient relationship seriously and assist you in finding the best pediatrician in Everett, Washington. Through Zocdoc, you can access an open directory of qualified and experienced healthcare providers in the city. You can conveniently find an in-network healthcare provider if you have an existing healthcare plan.
Create a free account on Zocdoc and choose the condition/specialty, location, date, and insurance plan. You will then get access to detailed profiles to find a doctor that suits all your requirements. Their profile includes education and training, expertise, experience, and the languages they speak. You can also view our database's user ratings and verified reviews for every provider. These features allow you to decide on your child's health and well-being.
Finding the best pediatrician near you can be a simplified task with the assistance of Zocdoc.
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Availability and access to pediatric care in Washington
The American Board of Pediatrics' U.S Map of General Pediatricians by State in 2021 shows that Washington has approximately 1,426 US-based general pediatricians. It means that there are about 1,153 children per physician. The Children's Health Care Report Card for 2020, published by the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, records approximately 71.4% of wellness visits for children within the first six months of life.
According to the Children's Health Care Report Card by the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute for 2020, approximately 71.4% of infants received wellness visits within the first six months of life. Moreover, around 70.1% of children attended visits during their third, fourth, fifth, and sixth years. Adolescent well-care visits (ages 12 to 21) were at an approximate rate of 51.2%, signifying a decline in accessing preventive care for children.
According to the American Board of Pediatrics, nearly 19.6% of children in Washington have unique healthcare needs. These include Down syndrome, Asthma, and other conditions that significantly impair their daily functioning. Many of these children require medical assistance from pediatric subspecialists, such as specialists in developmental-behavioral pediatrics. With the increasing demand seen in the population, it is critical to make specialized pediatric care more accessible.
Additionally, the Children's Health Care Report Card states that 3.1% of children in the state of Washington do not have any health insurance. In this case, more children are likely to have medical needs that cannot be met, thus impacting their growth and development. According to a recent Georgetown University Health Policy Institute report, the estimated number of uninsured children in Washington jumped from 46,000 in 2016 to 54,000 in 2019. Healthcare coverage is essential as it improves access to pediatric care and services. The availability of pediatricians that suit the financial needs of these children's families is crucial to making pediatric healthcare more affordable and, thus, more accessible.
Sources:
WebMD
Association of American Medical Colleges
American Academy of Pediatrics
Medical News Today
The American Board of Pediatrics[1]
The American Board of Pediatrics[2]
The Center for Children & Families[1]
The Center for Children & Families[2]
Healthline Media
UNICEF
Southside Medical Center
American Academy of Pediatrics
Cleveland Clinic
