Pediatricians treat more than just conditions; they have a wide range of responsibilities that range from wellness checkups to managing chronic health issues. Pediatricians provide advice on preventative care and diagnose and treat infections, diseases, and injuries.
 
Pediatricians will:
 
• Do regular health and wellness checkups

• Do physical exams as regular checkups or for school or sports activities

• Track your child’s physical, social, and emotional development

• Diagnose and treat illnesses, diseases, and injuries along with other health concerns

• Give vaccines

• Prescribe medications

• Listen to your concerns about your children and answer your questions

• Offer advice about your child’s health and preventive actions

• Refer you to a specialist if necessary

Every parent wants the best possible health care for their child. Choosing the right care is extremely important and will make a great deal of difference in their well-being and your peace of mind. People choose pediatricians because they are confident that these doctors understand children’s health needs.
 
Here is a list of benefits of choosing a pediatrician to care for your child.
 
• Pediatricians have specialized training in children’s health and development. Children aren’t just smaller versions of people and have specific needs that adults and seniors don’t.

• Pediatricians have knowledge of children’s development, diseases, and other issues. They stay up to date on health trends and concerns that affect young people.

• They relate to children well. They can make a trip to the doctor much less scary.

• They tend to make their office’s child friendly.

• Pediatricians offer services that can help children and their parents. They offer immunizations, lab tests, wellness checks, respiratory monitoring, sight and hearing exams, in-clinic IVs, and ADHD checkups.

The best time to have your child start seeing a pediatrician is as soon as they are born. The pediatrician can give your baby a wellness check right in the hospital. You may want to start looking for a pediatrician before your child is born. The advantages of this are that you will have the security of having a doctor ready to help you as soon as your child is born.
 
If your child isn’t seeing a pediatrician currently, it may be time to start now. People will often see a pediatrician until they are 18 to 21 years old. The common understanding of the past was that at 18 a person was an adult. However, a person may have issues that are more related to childhood diseases until after they are 18 and a pediatrician will be able to address these well.

Your baby should have its first doctor visit between 3 and 5 days old. It is best to try and plan this visit for times of the day that are the least busy, but be prepared to wait, as setbacks can happen.
 
Much of what happens at the first visit will be to check your baby for weight, size, and any problems that may have happened during the birthing process. The doctor will also check on any other health aspects that may need to be addressed.
 
This is also a time for you to ask questions and seek advice about your newborn and what you need to be doing. You can talk over many of the questions you have about being a parent.
 
Suburban Healthcare Associates has pediatric care available at our locations. We can do well visits, immunizations, and developmental screenings for children of all ages. To find out more, give us a call or use our online appointment system. We serve patients from Naperville IL, Plainfield IL, Joliet IL, Woodridge IL, Wolfs IL, Warrenville IL, Crystal Lawns IL, Romeoville IL, Lockport IL, Crest Hill IL, Shorewood IL, Gilletts IL, and Fairmont IL.