Pediatrics Bountiful Utah

To become a children’s doctor, one must complete three years of residency in family medicine after the completion of general medical school. This gives the doctors a great deal of knowledge and experience of working with children and family members in different capacities. After completion of the residency program, they should sit for a written exam to become certified by the American Board of Family Physicians before they are ready to work in a practice. Some choose to specialize even further and may become certified in such fields as cardiology or endocrinology for children. A doctor certified as a general medical provider is sufficient for most care during childhood.

From the Beginning

When you are searching for a baby doctor, you will want to start the search before the baby is even born. This will give you a chance to make a well-informed decision, plus the doctor can be ready to see the baby soon after birth, especially if there are any complications. It is important to remember that you will visit this doctor at least six times within the first year, so you want to choose someone you trust and can work well with. You also want to make sure that the office hours and location are convenient for you.

Finding Your Pediatric Physician

Before making a final choice, you will want to have a face-to-face meeting with the doctor. You can see how the office operates, and you can ask questions of the doctor and the staff. You will want to arrive with questions already prepared. There are many things you may want to ask, but priorities are different for each set of parents. For example, it may be important to some parents to find a baby doctor who sees the patient herself every time while others will be happy even if another doctor in the practice can see their child. When you talk to the doctor, make sure that she shares your views on childhood issues such as immunizations, breastfeeding, and parenting styles, among others.

Well-Child Visits

From birth through age two, you will visit the physician between eight and ten times for well-visits. At these visits, you can expect the doctor to perform physical examinations to check on the child’s physical growth. In addition, many of the visits will include immunizations to help keep your little one from contracting many different diseases. Also important to note, the doctor will keep tabs on the child’s development. In addition to physical growth, the doctor can observe and ask questions regarding the milestones your child has reached at given points. While there is a range of normalcy, it is important to make sure your child doesn’t lag too far behind. If this does become the case, you may be given tips or you may be referred for early intervention or further testing because treatments are most effective the younger the child is. These doctors can also give you information about your child’s health, safety, development, nutritional, and fitness needs.

Sick Visits

In the case that your child does become ill, you will want a pediatric physician who is knowledgeable and will see your child quickly. The doctor can diagnose and treat many different illnesses from infections to injuries. Because these doctors only see children, they have a great deal of experience and specialized training that helps them quickly recognize maladies of childhood.