By: Dr., Christian Rodríguez Cerroblanco. Pediatrician
During the pandemic, control and vaccination visits with the pediatrician or consultations with different pediatric specialties have been interrupted, causing, in some cases, delays in diagnoses or the worsening of diseases that are easily resolved if they are treated on time.
In which cases can we not delay attendance at the pediatrician’s office?
When the baby is born, if there were no problems during delivery or in the first days of life, it is recommended to make the first visit to the pediatrician between the fifth and tenth day after birth. During this visit, tests will be done on the baby to recognize his general state of health and the medical history will be opened.
If no problem is detected, after the first visit you should go to the pediatrician on a monthly basis during the first six months, since during this period many changes occur in the child’s body that should be supervised by a professional. In the second semester, visits can be spaced out a bit, every two months, as long as there are no health problems. After the first year of life, visits to the pediatrician are made every three months. Later, from the second to the fifth year of the child’s life, it is recommended to visit the pediatrician
What are the main reasons for consultation?
• Crying: crying is the natural way of communicating for babies when they have some vital need or discomfort: hunger, cold, heat, thirst, dirty diaper… The crying that worries pediatricians and that should be a reason for consultation is the one who does not calm down with anything: neither with the chest, nor holding him in his arms, giving him the pacifier, … Or a crying that the parents perceive as unusual and that cannot be comforted as usual
• Mood swings: A happy and calm baby is unlikely to be ill or, if so, it is not indicative of serious illness. If the child is very dull, sad or excessively sleepy, they should be seen by a specialist.
• Appetite: A baby who tires easily from nursing or loses interest in nursing or eating may need to be seen by a pediatrician. Another warning sign is vomiting.
• Bowel movements: a healthy baby should wet about six diapers a day and, in general, should have a regular bowel habit. If the baby’s tummy is not hard, he feels fine and is eating properly, there is no need to worry. However, if the baby stops urinating in more than 12 hours or has white, black, or bloody stools, they should be taken to the pediatrician.
• Difficulty breathing: If the baby’s breathing is labored or he has difficulty breathing, seek help immediately.
• Fever: A fever in a baby is a sign that he or she is sick, but fever alone is usually not a cause for concern. A baby can have a low fever and be very sick or a high fever and have a mild illness. However, if the baby is less than three months old, if the fever is hard to bring down with antipyretics or if the child looks bad, you should go to the pediatric emergency department.
Tips when going to the pediatrician
• Always carry the health and vaccination book.
• Write down on a piece of paper all the consultations that you wish to carry out: between the distractions of the waiting room, keeping an eye on a child in the consultation or worrying about whether what he has is serious or not, the mistakes are frequent.
• Dressing the child in clothes that are easy to remove and put on: facilitates the work of the parents, the nurse (in the case of administering vaccines) and the pediatrician’s examination.
• Take a spare diaper: it is very common for children to dirty their diaper at the most inopportune moments or for the visit to be extended…. etc
• Bring your favorite doll/toy: it will give the baby or child security and can distract them both while waiting for the visit and during the consultation.
• Bring something to eat or drink in case the wait is longer than expected.
• If the baby is breastfed, the mother should wear comfortable clothes to feed him without problems before, during or after the visit (there is nothing more consoling for the baby than breastfeeding after a bad time with vaccinations).
