Medical professionals like pediatricians help provide the best medical care for your child’s treatment if your child faces any developmental concerns or health issues. Medical graduates who specialize in the field of pediatrics play a crucial role in the health care and well-being of children.
By analyzing the various conditions that affect children’s behavior, learning capability, welfare, and health, pediatricians can come up with the right diagnosis and treatment plan. These physicians have a wide range of responsibilities in providing medical care to children from birth to the age of 18.
Keep reading to understand better the field of pediatrics and how pediatricians qualify to oversee your child’s health conditions.
Pediatrics Residency
Pediatrics is a field of medicine that mainly focuses on the medical care and treatment of newborn infants, toddlers, adolescents, and young adults. Medical graduates specializing in pediatrics help detect, manage, and prevent developmental, behavioral, and physical issues that are common among children. While certain pediatricians focus on general medical practice, others specialize in treating specific health conditions among children.
Pediatric care starts right from birth and lasts till the child becomes a major or even longer. At times, pediatric medical care can begin even before conception and continue throughout the pregnancy. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, setting an upper age limit for pediatric healthcare services is not appropriate. The academy suggests pediatric care depends on each child’s mental and physical needs.
Pediatrics: Educational Requirements
In order to become a pediatrician, students must undergo extensive education and complete training programs. To begin with, they must complete four-year medical training from any accredited medical school. Medical School graduates who wish to specialize in the field of pediatrics must then proceed to undergo a three-year pediatric residency program. There are over 200 pediatric residency programs across the United States. This must include inpatient, outpatient, and critical care conditions. During the period of residency training, residents undergo additional training in various specialties such as:
- General pediatrics.
- Newborn medical care.
- Newborn intensive care.
- Developmental and behavioral pediatrics.
The residency program helps pediatricians gain the skills, experience, and knowledge required to treat a wide range of health conditions among children. On completing the residency program, some pediatricians enter fellowship programs to receive extra training in pediatric specialties. Some of the common pediatric subspecialties are:
- Pediatric cardiology.
- Pediatric surgery.
- Adolescent medicine.
- Neonatology.
- Child abuse pediatrics.
- Pediatric critical care.
- Pediatric cardiology.
- Pediatric rheumatology.
- Pediatric hematology.
Role of Pediatricians in treating children
Pediatricians focus on a wide range of health services, from wellness screenings to managing complex medical issues. As part of their responsibilities, they perform everything from baby checkups to providing treatment plans for chronic health conditions. Pediatricians help with the following:
- Conducting physical examinations.
- Prescribing medications.
- Providing healthcare advice to parents.
- Diagnose and treat various health conditions.
- Conduct regular health checkups.
As pediatricians specialize in the growth and development of children, they have an in-depth understanding and expertise in different health conditions that impact children’s welfare and health.
Wrap Up
Pediatricians are specially trained medical graduates who work with newborns, infants, adolescents, and young children. As children grow up, they experience a rapid change in emotional, behavioral, and physical needs.
Since children have unique medical needs and requirements often do not get accurate treatment when consulting physicians who treat adult health conditions. With the expertise of pediatricians, children will be able to get the right diagnosis and treatment plan that will help them thrive in life.
