A pediatric doctor is a specialist who takes care of children of all age groups. Pediatricians can play many roles in the well-being of their patients.

Pediatricians work in private clinics, group practices, hospitals, and emergency care. Many pediatric doctors also further specialize in different medical fields such as neurology or cardiology.

Physical Well-Being

Pediatricians provide diagnosis and treatment for all minor and major health problems kids can experience. Young children frequently experience cold, cough, and fever bouts requiring treatment from their doctors. Infants and young kids are more susceptible to different kinds of infections. A pediatrician routinely examines and provides gentle treatment to kids for various infection-related ailments.

Pediatric doctors also administer routine immunization and offer well-baby checkups. A pediatric doctor will make note of your baby’s height, weight, and other growth parameters over the years. These records help in determining if a child has problems with the normal development milestones as per his or her age group. These checkups and maintenance of records help in identifying health problems in time for more effective treatment measures. For instance, it is possible to identify problems with an infant’s or toddler’s hearing with scheduled well-baby visits. Timely diagnosis of a health problem such as hearing issue or speech delay can help you seek specialized treatment for your child before the problems can further affect his or her progress.

Pediatricians also refer their patients to other specialists for more complex medical concerns. For instance, a pediatrician can refer you to specialist Gaithersburg pediatrics, if your child requires it for the specific medical condition if you live in and around the area.

Mental Well-Being

Children with mental illness require a lot of care and attention for their well-being and optimal growth. Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities are common mental health problems affecting children. In fact, even eating disorders, anxiety, and depression are also quite common in children these days due to additional stress of their competitive school and general environments.

A pediatrician can help identify the symptoms of mental and behavioral disorders in children and start their treatment in a timely manner. Your pediatrician can also refer your child to a specialist such as a psychiatrist for a more specialized treatment. In such cases, the pediatrician will often collaborate with the specialist doctor to monitor a child’s progress. Such collaboration can also help the pediatrician to adjust your child’s general medical care to aid the specialized care. For instance, some drugs can interact with each other. So, the pediatrician may change a dosage or prescription for routine health problems to avoid such drug interactions. The pediatrician may also observe if the mental health problem is affecting your child’s physical well-being as well.

Kids of all ages are also at a risk of developing phobias. Separation anxiety is common in young children. It often leads to stressful situations at home or school. Severe or persistent anxiety can also lead to other problems such as lack of focus, social phobia, and panic disorder as the child grows.

Emotional Well-Being

Emotional problems in children and teens are often treated as simple mood swings and considered normal. But sound emotional health is really important for the overall well-being of any individual including children.

Often, pediatricians act as their patients’ counselors and help them with their emotional health. Teens who have known their doctor from childhood are often able to open up to them about their anxiety and other situations causing them stress. Hormonal changes during adolescence can wreck havoc in a teen’s life. During this time, they require more emotional support at home. Pediatricians often also help parents understand the situation of their children and ways to offer them support in the home environment.

Depression and eating disorders are now common teenage problems. Pediatricians can act as the counselor for your children and even offer specialized help to them with the help of collaborations with specialist doctors as and when needed.

Pediatrics is an important branch of medicine, which is essential for the overall well-being of children.