Best Pediatrician in Karawal Nagar
81 Top Pediatricians in Karawal Nagar listed below
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Choosing a pediatrician for your child
A lot of planning goes into little details of your child as soon as you learn that you are pregnant. Choosing a good name for your baby is probably second on the agenda, but choosing the right pediatrician for them tops the list of priorities for parents. To give your child the best possible start and a healthy future, it is very important for parents to make the right choice when it comes to choosing who will care for and treat their child.
When is the right time to start looking for a pediatrician?
Contrary to popular opinion, if you are a soon-to-be parent, then you should ideally start looking for a pediatrician for your baby at least three months before their arrival is due. In order to do this, you should research the best doctors in your vicinity and also ask your friends, family, neighbors, and people in the community for recommendations.
If you are on a medical insurance plan, you will also need to check if your insurance plan covers the hospital and doctors you are considering. While you do your research, please exercise caution and do not show haste in locking in on a particular pediatrician for your child. Check reviews and refer to authentic sites like MFine to get the best suggestions in your vicinity.
Once you have shortlisted a few options, you should also check the range of services the doctor and their clinic offer. Newborn babies require a lot of periodic vaccinations and other important doses. It is best to check the vaccination schedules that the pediatrician suggests and help align the same with your preferences well ahead of time.
Why do you need a pediatrician for your child even if you have a family physician?
While family physicians are experienced doctors, too, a pediatrician specializes in the treatment of children. A pediatrician will usually treat your child from birth right until adulthood. This enables them to gain an in-depth understanding of your child’s health needs that are many times unique to an individual.
A dedicated pediatrician will help identify and address other needs of your child in addition to medical requirements and emergencies. These include behavioral issues, issues with a developing body, and the child’s psychological and physical growth.
Questions you should ask a pediatrician
It is a common occurrence for pediatricians to hold group sessions for expecting parents. Call the clinic and enquire if the pediatrician in question holds such a session, this will also help you and your partner to interact with other expecting parents and learn a few additional things in the process. If not, simply book a one-to-one appointment with the pediatrician.
Make a list of questions you wish to ask the pediatrician before your visit. Some of them could be from among those listed below:
- Enquire about the office hours. You may have your own preferences when it comes to choosing your days of visit, e.g., the weekend, etc.
- Does the pediatrician work solo as within a group? This question will help address your query about what happens when and if your pediatrician is unavailable.
- Does the doctor visit any hospitals in your area or only practice privately in his/her clinic?
- Does the clinic keep electronic medical records of your child’s medical history? This would ensure easy access to compiled data for reference at any time.
- How can you get in touch with the pediatrician directly during emergencies and otherwise? Are they responsive on email and prompt on calls or messages would probably be an important question to ask.
- In case of an emergency, should you directly take your child to the emergency room, or should you contact your doctor and wait for their advice?
- What kind of insurance plans does the pediatrician adhere to? Does it fall in line with your existing medical insurance?
- Enquire about the immunization schedule the pediatrician is suggesting for your child. Also, ask in detail about the vaccination policies the doctor and the clinic follow, including post-vaccination care.
- Will the pediatrician deliver your baby at the time of delivery, or will they refer you to another doctor for this purpose? If they refer to another doctor, will they visit the hospital post-delivery to examine the newborn?
In addition to asking questions, one should also be observant of how the doctor, the staff, and the clinic operate. Is the place hygienic, and is the staff cautious? Is the clinic child friendly? Is the staff polite and helpful? How are they responding to any emergencies?
Use this visit as an opportunity to interact with other parents at the clinic and try to gauge some feedback. Ask them what they like best in the care and services being provided by the pediatrician and his clinic and what they think could have been better.
All these factors will enable you to decide the best possible course of action for your baby. Choosing a pediatrician is a long-term commitment. While you can always change one if you are not satisfied with their services, it is advisable to consult the same pediatrician for your babies as they become well-versed with their body’s needs and health requirements over a period of time.
The decision-making after the interaction
After having met the pediatrician and having visited the clinic, and post your interaction with the staff there, analyze important points to gauge whether they were just satisfactory or were really impressive.
Was the doctor patient enough with you? Did he have a problem explaining things to you in detail and more than once? Does he share the same beliefs as you when it comes to important health decisions such as immunization?
Getting satisfactory answers to the above queries is very important to move your decision of choosing a pediatrician for your baby. Having locked it on a pediatrician before your baby arrives always keeps you relaxed about your baby’s health. So, go ahead and visit MFine now to find the best pediatricians in Karawal Nagar.