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Paediatrics is a field of medicine that plays a very important role due to the scope of activities aimed at diagnosis and treatment of the youngest people. Her father is considered to be the doctor of medicine, Abraham Jacobi, who opened the first pediatric clinic in the XNUMXth century.
A pediatrician is a doctor who diagnoses and treats diseases and ailments in children. He has a huge amount of knowledge, thanks to which he is able to apply the correct therapy not only in the case of minor diseases, but also those with a genetic background and those having psychological or psychosocial origin. Although paediatrics is a branch of medicine, on which you can find many studies (e.g. on the Practical Medicine website), you cannot rely solely on knowledge taken from online sources and it is worth using the help of a specialist.
A visit to a pediatrician with a child is necessary in the event of symptoms such as cough, runny nose, increased temperature, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, rashes, and skin changes. In addition, an indication to go to the pediatrician is also excessive crying of the child, lack of appetite, sleep problems or potential developmental defects. This means that any situation in the child’s health and general well-being, deviating from the normal state, should prompt a visit to a specialist.
You should also show up at the pediatrician’s check-ups. The first follow-up visit should take place between four and seven months of age. During vaccinations, the pediatrician or family doctor will examine the child’s general condition, measure it and weigh it. So these are also follow-up visits.
At the first follow-up visit to the pediatrician, the baby is weighed and measured. The doctor also visually examines the fontanel, skin and muscles of the baby. In the event of specific irregularities in this regard, he or she directs the toddler to an appropriate specialist who will extend the diagnostic tests.
In addition to specialist knowledge, the doctor’s experience in diagnosing and treating various diseases is extremely important. A good pediatrician should be patient and be able to entertain or distract a child during an examination, or during minor procedures or vaccinations. It is equally important for him to pay attention to details such as the opening of a health card, keeping medical records, and arranging follow-up visits to assess whether the child has fully healed. The visit to the pediatrician itself should last at least 15 or 20 minutes, and during it, the doctor’s task is to provide comprehensive information about the child’s health, without unnecessary haste.
The pediatrician usually works in a specialized medical facility, although his help can sometimes also be used in his home (after making an appointment) or you can invite him to your apartment. In this way, the child is not exposed to high stress related to the necessity to perform the test in a completely unfamiliar place and to the potential disease in the clinic (due to the presence of other children).