By Marissa Velazquez


Few things are as scary and as agonizing as when a child is sick. Children are innocent and they simply do not understand why they are feeling so poorly. Parents can worsen the situation by panicking or, even worse, by taking the attitude that things will soon get better. Most parents feel helpless and they do not know how to deal with the situation. A meticulous pediatric physical exam is the very best course of action in such circumstances.

Children that are ill must be handled in a much different way than would be the case with adults. Sick children often do not understand the very concept of disease and they can become muddled and scared. That is why there are pediatricians that are specially trained to handle ill kids. These experts are specialists that received advanced training after completing their ordinary medical degrees.

Children need to be attended by specialist doctors because their medical needs differ from those of adults. Children are still developing and at each developmental phase they may develop different types of diseases and other medical conditions. The treatment used with young patients often differs from those used on adults and the medication used is also often uniquely developed for children. Some types of disease are almost exclusively found in children.

Pediatricians have to examine their patients without the benefit of being able to ask questions. Parents may sometimes provide vital information but the diagnostic skills of the physician have to be extraordinary. Children may also view the pediatrician as hostile and they may refuse to cooperate. They see the examination and the treatment as threatening. That is why pediatricians need special skills and endless patience.

It is interesting to note that many pediatricians site the parents as their biggest challenge when treating a sick child. Parents are understandably concerned, scared even, and they often interfere with the examination process, especially if it appears as if the child is in pain. Many pediatricians also find it very difficult to convince parents about the necessity for special procedures.

One of the things pediatrician do lessen the ordeal of treatment is to make sure that their consulting rooms are child friendly. They make sure that the environment is bright and friendly and they often have a variety of toys available. Instruments are not displayed openly and no noise or obviously urgent behavior is tolerated. In short, everything possible is done to disguise the fact that it is a medical facility.

Children are much more likely to cooperate and to remain calm if they are familiar with the environment and the people that work there. That is why it is vital to take the child for visits to the pediatrician from an early age. If they know the doctor they will develop trust and will therefore not be scared when they need to be injected, for example.

Ill children are miserable and confused. Many parents exacerbate the situation because they cannot stay calm and keep the sick child calm at the same time. Few medical practitioners opt for further training in this field. A pediatric physical exam requires great skill and lots of patience. That is why these specialists are so scarce.




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