Making the Most of Your Pediatric Visit

Pediatricians can guide you through many parenting issues. Both parent and child can benefit by being prepared for a pediatric checkup. Here’s how…

You’re at the pediatrician’s office with your baby or toddler and the doctor is firing off questions to which you don’t have ready answers: How many dirty diapers a day? How many wet? How many words does your one-year-old know? What’s her sleep schedule? After you draw a blank enough times, you begin to wonder whether you really know your child. Or perhaps the doctor asks you if you have any questions – a golden opportunity to ask for advice while you have the doctor’s undivided attention – and you again draw a blank, only to remember three questions you wanted to ask as you’re buckling your child into her car seat.

If you think that all you need to do to prepare for your child’s checkup is to get to the pediatrician’s office on time and promise ice cream afterwards, it may be that you’re not making the most of your time with a health professional who can also help you be the best parent you can be. Pediatricians can guide you in areas as diverse as potty training and when to begin teaching the alphabet, based on their specific knowledge of your child. And you can help them to do their job better – and provide better care for your child – by knowing the answers to the questions they are most likely to ask, and by giving some thought to your own questions.

Both parent and child can benefit by being prepared for a pediatric checkup, according to Claudia Richards, RNC, a certified pediatric nurse and the head nurse at Pediatric Associates in Kansas City. “There are lots of books for toddler-age kids that they can look at to help them prepare for a doctor visit,” says Ms. Richards. “Really, you don’t have to say too much except that ‘you’re going to the doctor; you’ll get weighed and measured’.” She adds that the parents should write down any questions they have ahead of time in order not to forget them during the visit.

Dipika Eila Rana, M.D., an associate of the pediatric office of J. Martin Gewirtz, M.D. in New City, New York, says that in the early years of the child’s life, “I’m going to focus on things like diet, sleeping habits, voiding and stooling, and development. I’ll tell [the parent] what to expect. And I’ll almost always discuss sun safety and water safety, as well as proper car seat use.”

Most parents do come prepared with the information the doctor will need to know, says Dr. Rana, but sometimes a father who isn’t around the child so much – and therefore isn’t as familiar with the child’s schedule and habits – will have the day off and bring the child for his or her checkup. When that’s the case, the mother should give the father a quick rundown of what facts the doctor might want to know; if she isn’t sure, she can call the doctor’s office in advance to find out.

Frederick Bomback, M.D., is the attending pediatrician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York, and at New York Presbyterian/Babies Hospital, as well as a clinical professor of pediatrics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. Dr. Bomback agrees with Dr. Rana that parents should make a list of their concerns before any scheduled checkup – anything from sleep problems to that mysterious mark on your daughter’s leg is a valid concern. “Parents should not feel embarrassed to ask ‘stupid questions’,” says Dr. Bomback. “The vast majority of ‘stupid’ questions are really pretty intelligent. Ask anything that’s on your mind, anything you’re losing sleep about.”

And Dr. Rana agrees that parents shouldn’t be afraid to voice their concerns about both health and developmental issues. “I’d much rather [my patients] come to me with questions instead of going to Grandma!” As for which questions a parent might want to ask, she says that they should be related to the child’s stage of development – for example, advice on topics such as how to ensure a safe home for a baby who is just learning to crawl or pull himself up, when and how to get rid of a pacifier, or even ways to help your child learn. And if the office visit is a sick-child visit rather than a regular checkup, be sure to ask about which over-the-counter medicines your doctor recommends for your child’s symptoms and at what dosage.

However, your ability to ask whatever’s on your mind may be limited if your pediatrician’s office is a busy one. “The unfortunate thing is that many offices are so busy that it’s hard to answer every question,” says Dr. Bomback. “So prioritizing is important.”

Dr. Bomback also suggests an additional way that parents should prepare for a checkup: by telling their kids what they can expect. “With an older or school-age child, one question that comes up is, should parents tell kids they’re getting shots? Just tell your child ‘I’m not sure.’ A 3-year-old won’t be getting shots unless they’re behind schedule; a 5-year-old almost certainly will have shots. Tell your kid, ‘The visit is a way to know that you’re growing well and perfectly healthy’ – or if there is a problem, the doctor can check it out before it gets worse.”

What’s the bottom line? Says Dr. Bomback, “In general, if parents have concerns, they should immediately bring them to the attention of the pediatrician rather than wait for the next office visit.” The doctor can then decide if the problem is serious or immediate enough to warrant its own office visit.

Working with your pediatrician and preparing for checkups helps to ensure that your child will receive the best care possible – and you’ll enjoy the welcome side effect of parental peace of mind.