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Pediatricians Sound Off
What Doctors Wish Parents of Small Children Would Worry About
By Katherine Bontrager
But that's not to say that your pediatrician doesn't want to hear from you. In fact, all these doctors say they want to be your source of information regarding your child's health – and they would prefer you call than not.
"When a parent isy concerned I want them to call me," Dr. Lennon says. "They're very i sntuitive and they can pick up on some things we can't, such as subtle changes that can be a sign of illness, so I always want to hear from parents. If they're worried, I want to know."
Parents will have questions and concerns, and these shouldn't be trivialized, Dr. Steltenkamp says. "Write down your concerns and share them with your pediatrician," she says. "Your child's physician can then give you a better idea if this is something that he/she is also concerned about or hopefully they can allay your fears and answer the questions."
But if parents are sweating the small stuff, what big stuff are they missing? Namely, proper car seat usage, SIDS prevention and healthy eating and fitness, Dr. Shu says.
"If parents spent as much time installing a car seat correctly as they do picking one out, many children would be a lot safer," Dr. Shu says. "Car crashes are the major cause of injury and death in children over 1 year, so it makes sense to be sure child passengers are as safe as possible. Parents can have their car seat installation efforts checked at an inspection event, usually held at police or fire stations, hospitals and baby supply stores."