Choosing a Pediatrician for Newborn – Everything You Must Know

Choosing a pediatrician for your newborn child can be a tough decision. But here are some factors that you should take into consideration to be able to make the best choice for your child and your family:

• How far is the pediatrician from your home?

This may not seem like a big deal but it is a very important factor to consider when choosing a pediatrician for your newborn. Being able to go to the newborn pediatrician easily and quickly can ensure that you are able to avail services of the doctor with ease and without using up too much time or effort.

• What Are the Pediatrician’s Available Hours?

If you are a working parent, you need to choose a newborn pediatrician who can be available outside 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. If not, scheduling appointments with the doctor at a time that would fit with your schedule could become an issue. Also, when choosing a pediatrician, find out if there are other doctors or nurses at the practice who can step in when the pediatrician isn’t available.

• Is It Affordable?

You may find the perfect pediatrician for your newborn, but it can be disappointing to find out later that you may not be able to afford his or her services.

• What Is the Pediatrician’s Level Of Expertise?

Before finalizing a pediatrician for your newborn, you should be confident about the doctor’s experience, qualifications and his/her expertise. You can find out about the same from their website or by asking the doctor themselves. If possible, you can also ask friends and family for recommendations to make sure you are choosing the best pediatrician for your newborn.

• Is The Pediatrician Friendly & Approachable?

As a new parent, you might have a lot of questions, concerns and worries. It is important to find a doctor who can empathize with you and has the ability to listen and respond to all your queries and concerns. Over and above this, your pediatrician should also be able to make your child feel comfortable and safe.

• Will You Get Access to Additional Care & Services?

When need be, your pediatric doctor should be able to link you to specialists. Ideally, you should find out if the pediatrician can link you up with emergency departments for children and can offer referrals when required. Over and above this, you should also find out if the healthcare provider can offer services of lab tests and other similar facilities for your child.

Before you decide on your pediatrician, it is important that you feel confident and certain about him/her being the best fit for your child as well as for your family. To make sure of this, you could ask the newborn pediatricians the following questions to ensure that all your queries and concerns are taken care of:

• Are you affiliated with a hospital or Healthcare? If yes, which one?
• Is your healthcare facility licensed and approved?
• Which medical institute did you go to?
• For how long have you been practicing?
• Are you board-certified?
• What protocol do I need to follow if my baby needs to see a specialist for any reason?
• Do you have evening and weekend hours when you take appointments, and do you accept day-off appointments incase my child is sick?

Ideally you should decide on a pediatrician in the early days of the third trimester if possible. This would give you enough time without feeling rushed to make sure you are prepared before the baby comes.

You can start by talking to friends and family parents who already have kids and avail services of pediatricians in the area. Or you could also do a google search for ‘newborn pediatrician near me.’ Once you narrow down on a few options or if you have any top preferences, you can schedule an interaction or visit with the pediatrician to get to know the doctor better and to make sure if he/she is a good fit. When you first interact with the newborn pediatrician, be honest about things that are important to you and bring up any questions or concerns that you might have.

The pediatrician will first see your baby in the first 24-48 hours after you leave the hospital. Make sure to have your hospital discharge summary with you when you meet the pediatrician. Finding the right pediatrician may seem like a daunting task but with enough research and preparation of time, you can make sure that you find a pediatrician that you can depend on during challenging times.

First Response Healthcare (FRH) is a leading home healthcare company in Dubai that can offer the services of a newborn pediatrician right at your doorstep. With our services, you no longer need to take your newborn to a hospital or clinic and expose them to the risk of catching infections. Instead our newborn pediatrician will come to your home and offer professional and reliable services for your child. Through our Pediatrician on Call service, a newborn pediatrician can visit you at any time of the day since our services are available 24*7, even on weekends and public holidays. FRH has received the Gold Seal of Approval by Joint Commission International Standards for Home Healthcare and it has a team of pediatricians, doctors, nurses who are DHA licensed, highly qualified and internationally trained. Our pediatric doctors can help with diagnosis and treatment for your child’s medical conditions and difficulties. Along with this, our pediatricians can also offer services of a routine health checkup at home for your child. Our pediatric specialists offer medical care along with necessary tests and medication required for your child. Our pediatric doctors are also available during times of a medical emergency. We strive to make sure that our services are of high quality and that you and your family can rely on us in times of need.