Kids Health Watch is Sponsored by Children’s Medical Group
In light of all the events, appointments, milestones, and happenings in your child’s life, have you ever thought of the importance of a stable medical “home base” for your child’s health and development? Your child’s “medical home” is the central place for you to help make medical decisions for you and your child. To this end, it is essential to keep regular contact with your pediatrician.
Your pediatrician is trained to sift through large amounts of information to make sure there are no subtle issues that might negatively affect your child’s best health outcome. For example, even at a seemingly straightforward check-up, your pediatrician is looking through vital signs past and present, physical exams, your past concerns, and other specialists’ notes to make sure everything is on track for proper development and growth.
Your pediatrician is part of a team to make sure your child grows up healthy and to help navigate any problems that might arise. Even if your child has visited many specialists and you feel like it is redundant, it’s still good to keep your pediatrician in the loop. Notes from specialists are great, but they don’t beat a face-to-face conversation.
Even when your child has seemingly minor illnesses, your pediatrician should be the first call to help. They may help you with resources to treat at home, thus saving a trip to the ER or office, or they can help navigate the next treatment steps while also keeping your child’s chart updated. Even multiple minor illnesses can be a red flag to your pediatrician that something might be amiss, but we rely on you to keep us informed.
Studies have even shown that working directly with your pediatrician for any illnesses, major or minor, and continuing with regularly scheduled check-ups decrease the number of ER visits and hospitalizations, decrease the number of missed days from school or daycare, and decrease money spent on copays and deductibles.
Remember, you are your child’s main caregiver, and your pediatrician is here to help you with all the tools needed to help with your child’s well-being. Your pediatrician’s main goal is to work with you so that your child grows up to be a healthy and happy adult.
Author: Savannah Browning
Dr. Savannah Browning grew up in Fayette, AL. She moved to Mobile to attend Medical School at the University of South Alabama in 2009, and has been a proud Mobilian ever since. She joined Children’s Medical Group in 2016, and her office is at the Airport Boulevard location. She lives in Mobile with her husband, Andrew, and their three children: Jude, Luke, and Annie.
