As moms of young children, most of us have gotten to know our pediatricians on a first-name basis. From the common cold with a newborn to a broken bone as a toddler, the pediatrician becomes our go-to source for information as we navigate the crazy world of parenting. After sitting down with a well-respected pediatrician, here is a list of things that your pediatrician wishes you knew for your next visit.
A Fever is Your Friend!
- A fever is the body’s way of fighting an infection. Never let the number of the fever alone frighten you. Higher temperatures MAY mean your child has a more serious bacterial infection, but the most common type of illness will be viral, and can only be healed with time.
- When younger, pre-verbal children are sick, how they are acting and behaving is often the most important sign of what is going on. A pediatrician is always interested in hearing careful observations of the child’s activity. That is often more important than how high the temperature has reached on the thermometer.
- Pediatricians are much less concerned with a child who has a 105 temperature and is running around the exam room than a child who has a temperature of 100 and is very lethargic.
“Quick Fixes” Unfortunately Do Not Exist
- Most pediatric illnesses are viral and get better with time. Pediatricians are happy to see kids who are sick, but get frustrated when parents demand a “quick fix” when, in reality, there isn’t one.
- We should use antibiotics very, very judiciously. They need to work when they are indicated, and if given too liberally, they will not work as effectively when your child does in fact have a bacterial infection.
Follow Your Mommy Gut
- If you, as a parent, have a nagging concern that something might be wrong, bring it up! Don’t feel that it’s not important enough, or that it is too minor of an issue. Better to be safe than sorry.
- A well-visit is a great time to discuss questions about your child’s health, and pediatricians love when parents come prepared with a list. If your concern is big enough that you want to spend 15-20 minutes on a topic, please consider scheduling a follow-up visit to deal with that issue more in-depth.
Wives Tale Exposed
- “Don’t give milk to a child who has a cold – it will worsen the congestion.” If your child has a cold and wants milk (breastmilk, formula or regular milk for an older child), by all means let them have it! Milk has more protein than juice or water and will help them heal faster.
A special “Thank You” to the contributing Pediatrician for this article, Meg Kawan, MD, FAAP, IBCLC.
This post is brought to you by Zoolu! who wants you to know about upcoming promotions, including a Customer Rewards Program and “Zaps” (gift cards randomly awarded to Facebook Fans). Make sure you Fan Zoolu! on Facebook to keep up on all the exciting promotions.
Debbie
August 16, 2010That was a great post. I think it’s pretty scary the first time your child gets a really bad fever, and it’s good to know that it’s just their body fighting the infection. I do wonder though, if the fever is helping them, should we still try to “break it” by cooling them down, or by giving them some over the counter medicine?
I completely agree with going by how your child is acting. I’ve had my kids have high fevers and keep playing like normal, and they’ve also had lower fevers and acted lethargic. The latter was pretty scary, so we made sure to visit the doctor with that one. I think too often parents notice that their kids are feeling warm, and they immediately take them to the pediatrician. Like your post said, you just need to wait it out a bit and see how your child is acting. The problem with taking them straight to the doctor is that in sitting in that waiting room, you’re not only exposing your child to all the other germs in the room that they could get sick from, you’re also running the risk of infecting all the other kids in the waiting room (some of them who are just there for a simple well child visit). The body is an amazing thing, and we need to trust that it will work the way that it’s supposed to. We as parents definitely need to pay attention to how our kids are acting while they’re sick, but we shouldn’t freak out every time they’re not feeling well. Getting sick helps to build up their immune system, and parents need to understand how important that really is. It will helps their kids out so much in the long run.
On a side note, I’m glad you cleared up the wives tale about not drinking milk while you’re sick. Even now as an adult, I still don’t drink milk when I’m sick, because I was always told that it would make me more congested. I’m glad to know that isn’t the case! Thanks for all the info Kate!
Amy
August 16, 2010thanks for this! my oldest daugther is a HUGE milk drinker, so eventhough we’re not supposed to give milk when she has a cold i still do – i just water it down a lot! =) obviously you can’t do that for infants, but it’s perfect for a 4 year old.