Pediatrician’s Choice

Choosing a pediatrician is one of the decisions that new parents face. It is good to be advised but also to take into account some practical criteria. However, many times it is a matter of empathy and that is only verified by going to several consultations.

Pediatrics is a four-year medical specialty focused on the care of infants, children, and adolescents. It is important that the choice of the specialist who will monitor the health of our child is made before his birth. In this way, we will already have the decision made when it is born and we can arrange the first visit right away.

How to decide?

A first approach would be to ask for an opinion and referrals to the gynecologist who has controlled the pregnancy or to close friends and family. In many cases, if there are doubts in the choice, a prenatal visit can be requested, that is, a preliminary interview during the last months of pregnancy to find out how it works and, above all, if it connects with the parenting model that has been proposed parents. In this sense, it is important that both the father and the mother agree on the choice.

One criterion of choice is the confidence that it transmits to us, whether "we have connected or not", that it is close, competent and that it responds to all the doubts raised.

In any case, the best way to know if he will end up being the definitive pediatrician lies in how he acts and answers all the doubts and questions that arise after him. If the answer is not convincing, does not seem decisive enough or does not fit with the parenting model, the change of pediatrician will be the best for everyone.

Question of confidence

The way of raising a child must be specific to each family and not a fixed model, so the choice of the pediatrician must fit like a glove. Parents and pediatricians develop an almost family bond that will increase day by day and in which trust must be one of the elements to sustain and strengthen the relationship.

What criteria to follow

When choosing a pediatrician it is important to take into account: The ubication:

• Is the practice close to home or work?
• Is there parking?
• Does the pediatrician attend more than one medical center or hospital?

The query:

• What hours of operation do you have?
• Do you attend after hours or on weekends?
• How do you make an appointment?
• How long do the first visits and emergencies take?
• What is the form of payment (private, health insurance, reimbursement)?
• What waiting time is there in the consultation and how long are the visits?
• How is the visit plan (number of reviews, informative documentation on parenting and feeding)?

About the pediatrician:

• What training, experience, and subspecialty does the pediatrician have?
• Will the same pediatrician always visit the child?
• Do you have a pediatric nursing team?
• Who can I call on the weekend if the child gets sick?

• The pediatrician is the doctor who specializes in babies, children and adolescents.
• When deciding pediatrician: ask the gynecologist for advice, make a prenatal visit and transmit confidence.
• Also… take into account the location, the organization of the consultations and the health personnel.