Pediatrician or pediatrician is a doctor who focuses on the physical, mental, emotional, growth and development of children, from the time they are born until they become teenagers, up to the age of 18 years.
Pediatrician is tasked with providing disease prevention measures in healthy children, as well as providing treatment for sick children, both acute and chronic diseases.
Pediatrician began his education by completing his General Practitioner degree, then continued his studies at the Specialist Doctor Education Program in the field of pediatrics to earn the title of Pediatric Specialist. A Pediatrician is trained to be able to diagnose and treat diseases in infants, children and adolescents as well as evaluate the growth and development of children.
Pediatricians can also explore various deeper sciences or sub-specialties, such as pediatric neurology, pediatric nephrology, and child development.
Problems Handled by Pediatricians
Pediatricians examine and treat a wide variety of conditions in infants, children and adolescents, including:
- Evaluate the child's growth and development and detect associated disorders.
- Provide education to mothers about safety, lifestyle, and how to breastfeed babies.
- Responsible for child immunization.
- Monitor the condition of babies born prematurely and provide the necessary treatment.
- Diagnosing certain diseases and conditions in children such as respiratory tract infections, diarrhea, ear infections, allergies in children, skin infections, malnutrition, and cancer in children.
- Treats various conditions that can affect children, including genetic disorders, physical injuries, infectious diseases, allergies, autoimmune disorders, nutritional problems, to cancer in children.
- In addition to examining and treating physical health problems, a Pediatrician is also responsible for mental disorders that can affect children and adolescents, such as developmental disorders, depression and anxiety.
- A Pediatrician will provide a referral if the patient's illness requires treatment from another specialist. For example, a referral to a Pediatric Surgeon if the patient requires surgery.
Some of the actions that a Pediatrician can take are:
- Perform a physical examination and trace medical history, growth and development, history of pregnancy and childbirth during pregnancy, as well as completeness of immunizations for children and adolescents.
- Perform injections related to treatment or vaccine administration.
- Determine the steps of care either outpatient or inpatient in children and adolescents.
- Evaluate and monitor the child's condition during treatment and provide treatment according to the child's diagnosis and needs.
- Provide medical assistance in emergency cases in children, such as respiratory arrest, shortness of breath, sepsis, shock, and seizures in children, and determine the next steps for handling.
- Explain the child's medical condition, treatment recommendations, and steps for medical treatment to the child's parents or guardians in easy-to-understand language.
When to Check Your Little One to a Pediatrician?
You are advised to take your child to a Pediatrician if the child has any of the following conditions:
- Fever.
- Vomiting or severe diarrhea.
- Dehydration.
- seizures.
- Respiratory problems such as coughs and colds that do not go away, or cause severe symptoms such as shortness of breath.
- Pain when urinating.
- A rash appears.
- Children have developmental problems.
- Babies are born prematurely.
What to Prepare Before Meeting a Pediatrician
Before taking your child to a Pediatrician, at least you are encouraged to record any complaints or disturbances that your little one is experiencing. This is quite useful for the doctor, to help him diagnose what disease your baby is experiencing. Likewise with the history of pregnancy while carrying a child, history of child birth, growth status, and completeness of immunizations.
In addition, ask relatives, friends, or relatives about references to Pediatricians who practice in your area. Also find out how much you have to spend when checking your little one to a Pediatrician.
