What is a pediatrician?
Pediatricians are expert medical professionals who diagnose and treat conditions in infants, adolescents, and young adults. They receive specialized training in children's physical, emotional, and behavioral needs. A separate specialist is required for children as their functioning is physiologically different from adults and requires special care.
Pediatricians perform physical examinations to evaluate a child's health and prescribe medications for various conditions. They also recommend immunizations to prevent infections. More importantly, they monitor a child's growth and development and ensure all the milestones are met. When a child needs a specialist's care, they then provide referrals.
Another essential role of a pediatric specialist is in the labor room. When an infant is born, these specialists perform the infant's first head-to-toe examination, assess vitals, and ensure the infant is healthy.
Education and training of pediatricians
Pediatricians' education and training is rigorous, encompassing both broad medical knowledge and specialized pediatric expertise. They generally undergo a minimum of nine years of education and training.
To become a pediatrician, one must complete a bachelor's degree program in a science-related field like biology and chemistry, followed by four years of medical school. During medical school, aspiring pediatricians study various medical disciplines, including anatomy and physiology. They also gain clinical experience through rotations in different medical specialties like neurology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and radiology.
After completing medical school, individuals interested in pediatric medicine undergo residency training. Pediatric residency programs usually last three years and provide intensive, hands-on training in pediatric care.
Throughout their residency, pediatricians gain expertise in diagnosing and treating a broad spectrum of pediatric conditions, including general pediatrics, newborns, newborn intensive care, and developmental-behavioral pediatrics.
Upon completing residency training, pediatricians may choose to pursue further specialization through fellowship programs. Fellowships offer advanced training in subspecialties such as adolescent medicine, neonatology, pediatric cardiology, child abuse, and pediatric surgery. These programs generally last two to six years and provide in-depth training and expertise in specific areas of pediatric care.
Overall, pediatricians must accumulate a minimum of 12,000 to 14,000 hours of patient care experience.
Moreover, throughout their careers, pediatricians engage in continuing medical education to stay updated with advancements in pediatric medicine and maintain their board certification.
What are the various pediatric subspecialties?
Pediatricians often work as primary care physicians, perform regular health checkups, treat general health conditions, and advise patients on a growing child's nutritional requirements. Besides general practice, pediatricians can specialize in specific medical conditions or age ranges. A few such pediatric subspecialties are:
- Adolescent medicine specialists: The doctors focus on providing treatment and care during adolescence, between 11 and 21 years. The issues in children and adolescents are different from that in infants. They are vital to providing sex education to teens and can identify teenage psychiatric problems like anxiety and depression.
- Critical care pediatricians: These specialists form a team with other healthcare professionals to treat children with critical health situations. The doctors usually practice in hospital-based intensive care units.
- Developmental behavioral pediatricians: Doctors specializing in this field evaluate and treat developmental, learning, and behavioral problems and delays in children and teenagers. They also work closely with the family members of the children affected to help them overcome challenges in raising their kids.
- Pediatric oncologists: Pediatric oncologist specialists diagnose and treat different types of cancer in children. They help prevent cancer through annual screenings and help better the prognosis of a diagnosed case through various treatment modalities.
- Pediatric cardiologists: These experts diagnose and treat various heart diseases in children; they work closely with heart surgeons to decide the best course of treatment. Common heart conditions in children are atrial and ventricular septal defects, patent ductus arteriosus, etc.
- Pediatric neurologists: Doctors specializing in pediatric neurology manage neurological disorders in children like myasthenia gravis, Friedrich's ataxia, stroke, spinal cord injuries, etc. These specialists will ensure that a child's everyday functionality is preserved and try to reduce their disability as much as possible.
- Neonatal-perinatal pediatricians: These pediatricians provide care to newborn babies before, during, and after their birth and treat them in case of complications during the delivery or critically ill newborns.
- Pediatric endocrinologists: Pediatricians specialize in treating hormone and endocrine system-related disorders in children. They can treat children with Cushing's syndrome, Addison's disease, diabetes, growth hormone disturbances, etc.
When should you see a pediatrician?
Regular consultations with a pediatrician near you can help your child to avoid any major illness. Pediatricians ensure that your child is up to date with immunization and check on your child's mental, emotional, and behavioral development. Apart from these, there are a few symptoms that call for a visit to the pediatrician, which are:
- Fever: A fever that reads more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in infants is concerning and warrants immediate attention. Meanwhile, for older children, it is more important to look out for symptoms other than body temperature. Symptoms like irritability, refusing to eat, or constant crying are concerning. Usually, a mild fever subsides in three days. However, if the fever doesn't reduce, it may be due to an infection like pneumonia.
- Vomiting and diarrhea: Vomiting and diarrhea are usual signs of viral infection. If the symptoms are very severe or are present for a long time, it can lead to dehydration in the child. Some key dehydration symptoms are reduced urination, dark, concentrated urine, crankiness, and sunken eyes. Usually, a viral infection in the stomach goes away within 24 hours. However, if the symptoms remain, you should immediately contact your pediatrician.
- Rashes: Rashes can be of many types and usually don't bother the child too much. However, a rash with a fever can be a sign of infection. If the rashes ooze or look like a blister or if they look like swollen bumps on the skin along with difficulty breathing or facial swelling, you should get it checked by your pediatric specialist, as there may be an underlying infection causing these symptoms.
What are the common childhood illnesses and conditions?
A pediatrician near you can treat various illnesses and injuries in children. Some of these childhood disorders and diseases include:
- Sore throat: Sore throat happens due to a viral infection. It is a common ailment among children and can even be painful. An early diagnosis and treatment can cure the symptoms and prevent the disease from developing into a significant health complication. Pediatricians may recommend appropriate medicines or antibiotics depending on the child's age.
- Common cold: Common colds and flu happen due to viral infections in the upper respiratory tract. Both conditions are contagious. Therefore, the disorder quickly spreads from one child to another. Its symptoms include nasal congestion, running nose, and cough. Pediatricians examine the child and prescribe appropriate medications to cure the condition.
- Sinusitis: Sinusitis occurs due to bacterial infection in the sinus area of the nose. It is often detected when nasal discharge, daytime cough, and other cold-like symptoms last more than ten days. Pediatricians may prescribe antibiotics to relieve bacterial sinusitis.
- Ear pain: Ear pain occurs due to an ear infection. It may also occur due to the common cold or sinus infection and tooth pain radiating from the jaw to the ear.
- Pneumonia: Pneumonia is a severe lung disorder caused due to bacteria, fungi, or viral infection. Its symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing, and cough. If left untreated, pneumonia can be fatal in children. Therefore, visit the best pediatricians near you immediately if you detect these symptoms in your child.
- Meningitis: Meningitis can be defined as the inflammation of membranes surrounding the spinal cord and brain. It happens due to viral or bacterial infection in the brain. Meningitis can be severe and fatal. A routine well-child health checkup at the pediatrician helps detect and treat the condition early and prevent major complications.
- Skin infection: Skin infections occur due to multiple internal and external factors and can affect children of any age. Pediatricians conduct a thorough skin culture test for an accurate disease diagnosis and to prescribe appropriate treatment.
- Chickenpox: Caused by the varicella-zoster virus, chicken pox is a highly contagious childhood illness characterized by red, itchy spots or blisters all over the body. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headaches, aching and painful muscles, and loss of appetite. It typically resolves within a week but can be prevented with vaccination. Besides, if left untreated, it can cause severe complications. Hence, seeking medical guidance is crucial to ensure appropriate treatment.
How do you find a top-rated pediatrician near you in Fremont?
Regular visits to the pediatrician play a crucial role in your child's overall health. Pediatricians treat complex diseases, provide preventive care to a child, and prepare them for a healthy future. However, finding an appointment with a qualified and experienced pediatrician can be tricky.
Zocdoc is a platform that will help you book an appointment with the best pediatricians through its open directory of top-rated medical and healthcare providers. If you have a health plan, you can include your insurance carrier's name in the search, and the website will show you all the doctors who accept your plan.
Each healthcare professional associated with Zocdoc has a unique profile where you can view their qualifications, experience, board certification, clinical interests, and spoken languages. You can also access verified reviews and ratings to make an informed choice.
Additionally, with Zocdoc, you can locate your nearest healthcare provider by conducting an area-specific search. Thanks to Zocdoc, finding a qualified pediatrician near you is now easier!
All bookings with Zocdoc are safe, secure, and free of cost!
The increasing number of uninsured children in the USA and California
It is vital to have health insurance for every child as it ensures that they will get the necessary treatment without any financial burden. However, in reality, the picture is a bit different. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2020, 4.3 million children under the age of 19, and 5.6% of all the children in the US were without health coverage for an entire year.
According to the Children's Healthcare report card by Georgetown, it is estimated that 334,000 children in California were uninsured in 2019, which makes the state third highest in the number of uninsured children in the country. The report also states that California has seen an 11.3% growth in uninsured children since 2016. It is also noted that only 22.2% of children aged one month to three years in California underwent developmental screening, which is crucial to rule out any developmental disorder.
Sources
Medical New Today
WebMd
Children's Healthcare Report Card, Georgetown
United States Census Bureau
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
American Academy of Pediatrics
Cleveland Clinic
News Medical Life Sciences
Nidirect
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