The adage only by asking the right questions can you get the correct answers’ seems so true during the early years of parenthood. You might be dealing with everyday problems related to your kid’s health, from common fever and diarrhoea to runny nose. It’s a part & parcel of the deal. Apart from everyday problems, one more common thing during these times is having many health-related questions to ask your paediatrician. Since you want what’s best for your kid, it’s evident for you to have doubts and apprehensions about what’s the next step or whether I am doing it the right way.
But when it comes to meeting or seeing your child’s paediatrician, those curious questions escape your mind. As you enter the paediatrician’s check-up room, you become so hesitant & nervous even to share your concern or worries about your child’s health. Or sometimes you’re just so exhausted or just forget to ask.
List of Important Questions to Ask Your Paediatrician
Finding the correct answers to all your medical questions is essential to feel at ease. To save you some trouble and hectic work, we have compiled a list of the top 10 questions to ask your children's doctors.
Question 1: How Much Milk Should My Child Be Drinking?
This is the most critical question to ask your paediatrician. New mothers ask how much milk to feed an infant or a kid. The milk intake varies depending on the growth and age of a child.
The milk intake increases as the child gets older. For example, during the very early days after birth, the baby needs 30-60 ml of milk every 2–3 hours. This gradually increases to 120–240 ml. For infants aged 0–6 months, the milk intake keeps fluctuating within this range. And After 6 months of age, the child’s diet should include water and other simple-to-eat foods. At this time, the child may drink more than ~1000 ml of milk per day.
After the age of 6 months to 1 year, the child should also eat a healthy, balanced diet with the staple food of the 5 main food groups in small quantities, supplementing those meals with 2–4 glasses of milk daily.
Question 2: How Should I Keep My Child Comfortable During the Night?
Waking yourself up to your child’s shrieking wailings can be the most worrisome sight. That’s why ensuring your child is well-fed and isn’t feverish before going to bed is essential. Commonly, children wake up in the middle of the night because of their connection to their mother, not out of hunger. In such cases, gently rocking and comforting your child can quickly put the child back to sleep.
You shouldn’t lose your sleep every time, as a high fever is usually not a cause for concern unless your child has some medicinal complications. Things like dressing the child in light clothing or bathing in lukewarm water can reduce the body temperature. Even if the temperature doesn’t drop, you can take it up with your paediatrician for medical attention.
Question 3: Does the Treatment have any side effects?
This question is one of the most necessary questions to ask your paediatrician. As we know early days of your kid’s growth, the immune system is not robust enough and prone to infections and diseases. The medicines used may cause some unpleasant side effects. So, prior information about adverse effects will prepare you to handle them effectively. It will also save unnecessary panicking and losing your mind over it.
Question 4: How are Emergencies Handled?
Another significant query is about the after-hours services and availability of your child’s doctor. You will agree that emergencies are uncertain, even more so in the case of toddlers and infants. Because of this reason, you need to ensure that your paediatrician is available almost immediately if not 24*7. Some paediatricians are also available online for you to contact them and request prescriptions or even schedule appointments.
Question 5: Can I Use Home Remedies?
It’s one of the most common pediatric questions parents ask the paediatrician, as they don’t want their child to be on extensive medication for simple illnesses. While there’s nothing wrong with treating common ailments like fever, cough and headache with old-age natural remedies, it is essential to know that not all home remedies are safe. Inappropriate exposure to certain chemicals and ingredients can cause irreversible effects on the child’s body. It’s safe to say that grandma’s recipes don’t always work. Since children’s immune system is gentler, medication should be given by a child specialist.
Question 6: According to the Internet, the symptoms point to a particular disease. Should I be worried?
If all the information provided by Dr Google were correct, no doctors would be left on this earth. Isn’t that right? However correct that counterfactual may be, it’s far from being accurate. Looking for the correct information about your child’s disease based on the symptoms on the internet might not be the solution. That’s where your paediatrician comes to your rescue. Feel free to discuss any health-related questions with the paediatrician. A specialist can only decode and elaborate on the specificity of your child's problem.
Question 7: What should be the diet during the treatment or post-treatment?
Indigestion, constipation, food allergies, and diarrhoea are common issues your child might be going through. But as the child ages, the body gets accustomed to fibre & protein-rich foods with significantly reduced milk intake. Despite all those acclimatizations, the child’s digestive system remains quite sensitive. Also, things like gluten and lactose can exacerbate some conditions. So, don't ignore your child's diet, which needs special care and attention during illness and medication. Ensure you discuss it with your child's paediatrician on diet suggestions.
Question 8: What kind of Vaccines does a child may need?
In this fast-moving & rapidly growing world, new diseases keep on growing up now and then. And to prevent the boundless spread of diseases, vaccinations also crop up. So, to keep your child free from dangerous diseases, it is only wise to keep up with the latest developments in vaccinations. Always ask your paediatrician about any new or seasonal vaccinations like influenza vaccines your child should receive in addition to regular vaccinations.
Question 9: Is my child’s heavy breathing while sleeping dangerous?
We all know how awful it feels if you don’t get a good night’s sleep. It’s just as much awful and painful for a kid. Not getting enough sleep can impact your child’s brain development, concentration span, & overall emotional stability. Heavy breathing while the common cold, allergic rhinitis, and tonsillitis could cause asleep. You should bring your child to a paediatrician so that the correct diagnosis & treatment can be done.
Question 10: Are allergies hereditary?
Allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance and releases antibodies, making us sick differently. Pollen, grain, nuts, and cattle’s milk all can be allergic to your kid or you, for that matter.
Allergies can be transferred from parent to child genetically. So, allergies might not be infectious or virulent, but they are hereditary. Paediatricians use several techniques to reduce the development of allergies.
When do you need to Visit a Paediatrician?
There are other questions; let’s face it, they won’t stop buzzing inside your head. And you also know that the list of questions is endless. So to ease your curiosity, this article covers the most important and needful questions to ask your kid’s paediatrician. Choosing a paediatrician who can resolve your concern and clear your health-related question.
If you still have doubts about your child’s symptoms or concerns, please feel free to visit our child-friendly & helpful staff and ask queries about a pediatric doctor. Our paediatricians employ a relaxed and easy-going approach while dealing with kids, not just that they also keep track of how the child is progressing with her physical and mental development milestones. As a result, any development-related issues can be identified and treated early on.
Comments