Children’s medical needs are quite different from adults. Their immunity is weak, and they may need frequent medical checkups. Hence there is a need for a specialized doctor who can take care of your kid’s unique medical needs and ensure that they remain healthy.

A pediatrician is a child specialist who addresses the medical needs of infants, babies, toddlers, adolescents, and young adults. If you are stepping into parenthood, you must be considering choosing a pediatrician for your newborn.

However, before you make this important decision, it is essential to know what a pediatrician does and how choosing the best pediatrician in Jacksonville FL, can help your child.

What is a pediatrician?

A pediatrician is a specially trained doctor who takes care of the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of your children, right from their birth until they attain the age of 18 years. They are trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of minor as well as severe illnesses that can affect your children.

Pediatricians graduate from a medical college and complete their residency programs of 3 years. However, the best pediatrician in Jacksonville, FL, is board certified which means they have passed rigorous exams to get their certification from the American Board of Pediatrics.

1.What does a pediatrician do?

Your pediatrician is the first person you contact when your child gets sick. They have specialized training in dealing with and understanding the medical needs of your children. Also, since they only see children, they are experienced to quickly diagnose any health issue your child could be facing.

Here are a few essential responsibilities that pediatricians perform for the health and wellbeing of your child.

2. New baby well check

Infants need to have a thorough examination by a pediatrician in the very first week of their life. This examination is called a new baby well check. The best pediatrician in Jacksonville, FL, may take about half an hour to conduct a complete evaluation of your newborn to ensure everything is fine.

3. Annual checkup

Pediatricians require their young patients to visit them annually irrespective of their health. These annual checkups ensure that your child is healthy and growing as they should.

The pediatrician evaluates the height, weight, and other parameters to rule out the possibility of any hindrances to their growth. Any discrepancies in achieving the development goals are evaluated and addressed.

Sometimes the growth could be slower due to underlying health concerns. A well-child checkup also helps in bringing these issues to the attention of your pediatrician.

4. Immunization

A child needs vaccines to keep them healthy and free of diseases. Vaccination helps in strengthening the immune system of your baby and enables them to fight diseases in a better way.

Immunization starts at birth and continues until the child reaches 18 years of age. The American Academy of Pediatrics has created an immunization schedule that needs to be followed to ensure the overall health of your child. A pediatrician ensures that your child receives all their vaccines as per the schedule.

5. Common health concerns

The immune system of a child is in the developing stage and falls sick multiple times in a year. Some of the common health concerns that children face are sore throat, common cold, cough, ear infection, urinary tract infection, skin infection, etc.

A pediatrician can help to detect and treat these health concerns by conducting physical exams and tests to diagnose the underlying cause. Based on the reason for the health concern, a pediatrician recommends suitable medication.

6. Nutritional advice

Children may not understand the importance of healthy food in maintaining their overall health. In such a case, it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that the child is getting the required nutrition for their physical and mental growth. A pediatrician can provide parents with suitable nutritional advice to avoid any vitamin and mineral deficiencies.