Who is a pediatrician?
A pediatrician treats newborns, children, adolescents, and young adults. They train to care for your child from birth until adulthood. Their responsibilities include preventing, detecting, and managing children's physical, behavioral, and developmental issues. They provide medical care for chronically or acutely ill kids.
Some pediatricians choose general practice, while others sub-specialize in specific child health conditions. Pediatric subspecialties include — pediatric cardiology, rheumatology, pulmonology, adolescent medicine, child abuse pediatrics, critical care medicine, developmental-behavioral pediatrics, etc.
There are more options, such as pediatric nephrology, infectious diseases, hospital medicine, gastroenterology, neonatal-perinatal medicine, hematology-oncology, endocrinology, and emergency medicine.
What education and training are required to become a pediatrician?
To become a pediatrician, one needs to undergo extensive education and training. This includes:Â Â
1. Undergraduate degree: Four years of undergraduate education with pre-medical courses like biology and chemistry. Some schools, like NEOMED, combine undergraduate and medical school into six years instead of the usual eight. Â
2. Medical school: Four years of medical school, covering subjects like anatomy, physiology, and clinical rotations in areas such as pediatrics, emergency medicine, and neurology. Â
3. Residency: A three-year pediatric residency program focusing on pediatric specialties like newborn care, intensive care, and developmental-behavioural pediatrics. Â
4. Optional fellowship: Additional 2–6 years of training in subspecialties such as neonatology, pediatric cardiology, or pediatric surgery.
Becoming a general pediatrician requires at least nine years of schooling (or six years in a combined program) and 12,000–14,000 hours of patient care experience. Pediatricians pursuing subspecialties may require up to 15 years of training.
What are some responsibilities of a pediatrician?
Best pediatricians may collaborate with delivery teams to monitor the health of newborns at birth and during their stay in the hospital. You will likely see the pediatrician frequently during the initial three years since childbirth.
Other functions they perform include conducting regular health check-ups, performing physical exams, and administering vaccines. The practitioner will monitor your child's overall development and flag any delays. They can also give advice on caring for your child and provide referrals to specialists when necessary.
Consultations usually consist of scheduled well-child visits from ages two to five. After age five, annual visits suffice, except when your child is ill.
What are the different types of pediatricians?
A pediatrician's day-to-day responsibilities differ depending on their specialty. ​Pediatric specialists have extensive training in their area of practice. Here are some of the different types of pediatricians:
Parents often take their children to a regular physician for yearly check-ups or when they become ill. General pediatricians are concerned with ensuring that a child's development is on track and identifying problems that may affect their physical or mental well-being. General pediatricians also advise parents on concerns such as:Â Â
- Diet
- Caring for injuries
- Addressing developmental delays
- Dealing with behavioral issues
- Managing chronic illnesses. Â
- Pediatric allergistÂ
Pediatric allergists understand the consequences of allergies and immune system issues on children. That allows them to establish a formal diagnosis of an issue and devise a treatment plan to address it. A pediatric allergist assists children in dealing with allergies or other immune system disorders, including:
- Asthma hives
- Eczema
- Hay fever, immune disease
Pediatric oncologists can treat different types of cancers that may develop in children. They look for specific DNA alterations that occur in tumors that develop in childhood, including:
- Brain and spinal cord cancers
- Lymphoma
- Neuroblastoma
- Leukemia
- Osteosarcoma (bone cancer)
Cancer generally develops in different ways in children compared to adults. Pediatric oncologists focus on understanding the nature of cancer in children and ensuring that they receive appropriate treatment.Â
Pediatric cardiologists focus on children and teenagers with congenital heart disease, as well as those who develop cardiac issues after birth. They generally work with other doctors to create complete treatment regimens for the child's cardiac condition. Pediatric cardiologists recognize the unique problems associated with treating children with heart disease. They provide care that considers the physiological differences between children and adults. Â
Other pediatric subspecialties include:
- Endocrinology
- Emergency medicine
- Critical care
- Gastroenterology and nutrition
- Infectious disease
- Rheumatology
- Pulmonary medicine
Pediatrician vs. family physician
Pediatricians and family physicians are primary care doctors. They both can treat kids; however, their areas of expertise and knowledge differ. So, let's identify the difference between these two practitioners to help you decide better for your child.
Pediatricians specialize in caring for and offering preventive healthcare for children until they turn 18-21. Since they deal with children regularly, they tend to be familiar with diseases and conditions. They also have experience dealing with rare ailments that are child-specific. This expertise can help them arrive at accurate and early diagnoses without too many invasive tests. The best pediatricians near you are skilled in communicating with children and can quickly build a rapport to put the child at ease.
A family physician is qualified to treat people of all ages – from newborns to seniors. Treating the entire family means they have access to everyone's medical records. This knowledge can help them watch out for genetic conditions or hereditary diseases in the younger generation. Scheduling appointments for multiple members of the family together can be a convenient thing when you have a busy schedule. However, some family physicians may not take children under a certain age.
When and why should my child visit a pediatrician?
Your baby's first pediatrician visit should take place within 48–72 hours after leaving the hospital, followed by a second visit at 2–4 weeks old. During the first year, experts recommend visits at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months. After the first birthday, you must schedule appointments at 15, 18, and 24 months, with annual visits afterward. You can make additional visits anytime your child is ill or if you have any health concerns. Â
Regular pediatric visits, also called well-child visits, are crucial for monitoring your child's physical and emotional health, tracking their development, and administering recommended vaccines to protect against infections. These visits also allow one to discuss any health concerns with the pediatrician.
COVID-19 and children
Teens and children are at low risk of catching the COVID-19 infection; it is usually mild even if they become infected. However, the disease has affected some children harshly, leading to death in a few instances. Children with medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, genetic problems, congenital heart disease, and disorders that affect the metabolism or the nervous system are more susceptible to contracting the infection.
The symptoms of COVID-19 in kids will likely vary just as in adults. Some things to watch out for include fever, extreme fatigue, cough that becomes productive, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe headache, or new nasal congestion. It can take about six days for the symptoms to appear following exposure. One possible complication to watch out for is a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).
MIS-C is a severe condition in which certain body parts, such as the kidneys, heart, lungs, digestive system, eyes, brain, skin, and blood vessels, become inflamed. An aggressive immune response to COVID-19 can cause this condition. For some children, the long-term effects may last weeks and even months.
How do we ensure a healthy lifestyle for kids?
A healthy lifestyle and eating habits are crucial for the child's growth and development. Here are some recommendations to help create a healthy lifestyle for kids.
Prepare and maintain an everyday schedule for physical activity and healthy eating to help children quickly adapt to habits. Young children, especially kids, respond positively to predictability, making them feel safe and secure.Â
- Increase parental involvement at home and school.
At home, parents or caregivers should promote the idea that eating more vegetables is always good for health. Make it a point to stock the kitchen with vegetables and fruits, and don't buy junk food. Emphasize eating healthy snacks and encourage your child to select vegetables and fruits at the grocery store. Ensure your child carries a lunch box to school and encourage them to participate in packing their lunch box. Â
Children's food needs vary according to their gender, age, and activity level. Children tend to consume more portions when eating unhealthy or junk foods, as these foods don't provide a sense of fullness or satisfaction. Fruits and vegetables contain more fiber, making the stomach feel full when taken in the right portions, and also help with metabolism. Therefore, understand the right portion of food your child's body needs and serve nutritious meals to keep them healthy.
Skipping breakfast can cause low energy and low focus. Subsequently, the child may overeat during lunchtime. Eating an unhealthy breakfast is equally detrimental to the child's health. Sugary cereals, pastries, or junk food can't keep the stomach filled for very long and do not provide adequate energy. An ideal healthy breakfast must include a combination of the following foods:
- Protein-rich foods include eggs, low-fat milk, cheese or yogurt, nuts, and lean meats.Â
- Carbohydrate-rich foods include whole-grain toast and whole-grain cereals such as oatmeal, pancakes, or whole-grain waffles with syrup.Â
- Fresh green leafy vegetables
- Fresh fruits with no added sugarÂ
Physical activity is extremely important for a child's health. Outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and playing in the garden can burn fat and boost the child's immune system. The best pediatricians recommend that a child have a minimum of 60 minutes or an hour of physical activity or outdoor play time daily. Playing outside with other children helps the child learn cooperation, independence, following rules, listening, sharing, and taking turns.Â
Avoid eating out regularly as it could lead to unhealthy food habits, which the child may think is normal. Children who eat their meals at home will likely eat more vegetables and fruits than those who eat at restaurants. Create a food plan for the week on Sunday and prep for it beforehand. Home-cooked food is more nutritious for the child, and preparing it doesn't consume much time.Â
Locating the best pediatrician near you in Fairfax, VA
A pediatrician is vital in the different phases of your child's life. Diagnosing illnesses or disorders in children takes much experience, patience, and skills. However, finding the best pediatricians in your vicinity who meet these criteria can take time and effort. Zocdoc makes it easy to zero in on the right practitioner for your child's needs.
Begin by creating a free account on our versatile platform. You can then use our convenient primary search filters, like location, symptoms, date, etc., to get a list of doctors. Other available filters include gender, language, and hospital affiliations. Our insurance detector lets you find an in-network pediatrician from hundreds of practitioners in our extensive database.
Clicking on individual profiles will give you comprehensive information about their experience, board certification, educational qualifications, and areas of expertise. The verified patient reviews and ratings will help you determine which shortlisted doctors are likely the best fit.
If you need help finding pediatricians who accept your insurance, our online patient support center is here to assist. On Zocdoc, you can link your medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to your account, though you can use only one plan per appointment. You can include your secondary insurance details in the appointment notes for those with multiple insurance plans. You can easily enter your secondary insurance information if your provider uses Zocdoc’s Intake forms.
Zocdoc lets you book a virtual appointment with the pediatrician before scheduling an in-person session. The easy booking process allows you to pick slots based on the doctor's availability and your convenience. Some pediatricians may be available on weekends and outside regular business hours.Â
Booking appointments with pediatricians near you on Zocdoc is simple, free, and secure!
Statistics on pediatricians in Fairfax and Virginia
In 2021, the population of children aged 0-17 in the United States was around 74.1 million, per the data provided by ChildStats.gov, a child and family statistics forum. The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics of May 2021, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, states that there are approximately 33,620 pediatricians nationwide. Of these, only 670 work in Virginia. This figure indicates a need for more qualified pediatricians nationwide and in Virginia.
Statistics sourced by LiveHealthy Fairfax rank the county 18th for clinical care in Virginia for 2022. The same source indicates that nearly 2.7% of children under 18 have difficulty participating in activities because of physical, emotional, or mental issues. The prominence in boys(around 3.5%) is more than in girls.
Sources
University of Rochester Medical Center
Cleveland Clinic
HealthPartners
Revere Health
Mayo Clinic
ChildStats.gov
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
LiveHealthy Fairfax[1]
LiveHealthy Fairfax[2]
Children's Hospital Colorado
WebMD
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