When to Bring Your Child in to See Their Pediatrician

Your pediatrician is a great resource for many questions and concerns about your child’s health. When something comes up regarding your child’s health, it can be difficult to know whether or not you should bring them in to see their pediatrician. To help, we’ve created this list as a guide to help you know when you should bring your child to see their provider.

Wellness Check-ups

Your child’s pediatrician will give you the schedule outlining how often to bring your child in for wellness checkups. This can change based on how healthy they are and will decrease in frequency as they get older. Wellness checkups are one of the most important reasons to see your pediatrician. They’re a great time to bring up any non-emergent concerns with their doctor and ask any questions you may have, potentially catching pre-diagnosed health issues early.

Non-Emergency Sick Visits

The pediatrician is the best place to take your child when they are sick but don’t require immediate attention. This could be for colds that aren’t going away, seasonal allergies, or ear infections. Make sure to call their provider’s office first to schedule an appointment or limit waiting time. If they are busy and unable to get them in within a day or so, it may be a better idea to take them into a clinic that could see them right away.

Sports Physicals

If your child is reaching the age where they are participating in sports, it’s important to schedule them for a sports physical. Their pediatrician will be able to perform one of these along with one of their regular wellness check-ups. Sports physicals are a quick way to make sure that they are developing normally for their age and are suited for physical activity and sports.

Behavioral Issues

If you notice that your child is expressing unusual changes in their behavior, turning to their pediatrician first is a great option. If you’ve been seeing this pediatrician for a while, they should be more familiar and will have better insight to their behavior than other providers. Your child will also feel the most comfortable around their regular pediatrician and should be able to open up to them more easily than a new doctor. If their pediatrician thinks that they should see a specialist, they can discuss your options and refer you to another provider.

Nutritional Concerns

Some pediatricians have more of a background in nutrition and weight management than others. Your pediatrician will have a good idea if whether or not your child’s weight is a health issue that you should focus on more. Your provider should also be able to tell you what is a healthy weight for your child, as well as help give tools to more effectively manage their weight. 

Your child should have a pediatrician you are able to trust over the years with all of these health concerns. If you don’t already have one you can trust, it may be time to look elsewhere. You can first start to look for a pediatrician by asking friends with kids nearby if they have any recommendations. If they don’t, an internet search can give you an extensive list of pediatricians nearby to go through. Start by searching your location with the type of provider needed. For example, ‘pediatrician Columbus GA’ will be a great place to start your search and then allow you to dive deeper into information about each of the pediatricians.