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Parental Peace of Mind:

Finding the Perfect Pediatrician for Your New Addition

With a new child on the way, you may not be getting much sleep. The excitement of the new addition, along with the natural worries about your baby's health and well-being can keep you tossing and turning. There is no doubt preparing for a new child can be stressful. The good news is, finding the right pediatrician can help put your mind at ease.

Trust your instincts and choose a doctor that best fits your child's and your family's needs. Obviously, your pediatrician needs to be someone you trust and respect. Chances are that if you are comfortable and relaxed talking to your pediatrician and asking questions, your child will eventually feel the same way. So, in the interest of your baby's health, here are some tips for finding the best pediatrician for your new addition.

Selecting a Pediatrician: Check Your Plan First

Before you choose a pediatrician, ask your health benefits provider for a list of pediatricians in your area that participate in your network. Find out what hospital(s) each pediatrician works with and check to make sure the pediatricians and hospitals accept your insurance. If you are interested in a pediatrician that is not in your health plan's network, be sure to ask about extra out-of-pocket expenses you may have to pay. If you have a managed care plan, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that you choose a pediatrician as your child's primary care physician.

Ask Around

Based on their experience, family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers can give you insight about what they like and dislike about their pediatrician. Your obstetrician can also serve as good source to help narrow your choices by letting you know which pediatricians he or she trusts. Also think about...

• Specific qualities in a pediatrician (i.e. culture or gender) that are important to you
• The location of the doctor's office and whether it is convenient to your home and/or workplace

Get Smart! Ask the Right Questions

To get a true feel for your doctor-to-be, schedule interviews with possible pediatricians. This will help you determine if their approach to health care is a good fit. Some pediatrician offices even host open houses for this very reason, so take advantage of this opportunity to meet and greet.

If an office doesn't host an open house, make sure to find out in advance if there is a charge for consultations. During that first meeting, make the most of your time by asking these questions...

• What is his or her specialty (i.e., adolescent medicine, pediatric cardiology, pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric surgery)?
• What are the typical costs for office visits? Do you pay during each visit? What are the processes for handling billing, insurance claims and co-payments?
• What are the office hours? If you work full time, ask if they see patients on Saturdays or evenings.
• Is the doctor available over the phone during office hours? If not, is there a nurse who can answer your questions?
• Just in case — Who should you call in the middle of the night, on weekends or on holidays in an emergency?
• Is there an after-hours answering service? If so, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises that you ask whether the answering service is linked to a university or children's hospital.
• How quickly are calls typically returned during evening hours or on a weekend or holiday?
• How many well child care visits should your child have each year? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the first year should include seven well child visits.
• If the office is a group practice, will your child see all of the physicians in the group or will he or she always see the same doctor? Can you choose for your child to see the same doctor?
• Does the office have separate waiting rooms for healthy and sick children? The office's waiting room is important since you take your kids to the doctor to stay healthy not to catch more germs.
• If there are health issues you think your child may face, due to family history or in the case of an adopted child — due to care before the adoption, ask the doctor about his or her experience with these issues.

Does Your Doc Make the Grade?

• What is the pediatrician's educational background?
• A doctor's training and experience are very important but don't dismiss a young pediatrician. New doctors sometimes know more about the latest trends, issues and treatments.
• Is the pediatrician board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)?
• Find out by visiting www.abp.org. ABP provides helpful information including the doctors' specialties, office hours and locations. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you look for the letters "FAAP" (Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics) after the pediatrician's name. This means that the pediatrician has passed the ABP Exam.

Pediatrician "Need-to-Knows"

• Check out your doctor's track record and credentials.
• Contact your state medical board to make sure the doctor hasn't been involved in malpractice cases or had his or her license suspended.

Choosing the right pediatrician is an important decision. Your choice will establish your child's first relationship with a physician and can set a positive tone for a lifetime of interaction with the medical community. Children who understand early on that a doctor is a friend and someone they can trust will be more relaxed during visits when they are sick, need vaccines, or when you need a pediatrician to reinforce the good health habits you're trying to teach — like eating vegetables!

Reevaluating Your Pediatrician...as a Second Time Parent

Are you happy with your first child's pediatrician?

• If you answered yes...
  • Is your current pediatrician accepting new patients?
  • Is he or she able to handle any special needs your new child may have?
  • Does the pediatrician offer visits for more than one child at the same time?
  • Does your pediatrician offer any billing discounts for multiple children?
• If you answered no...
  • Think about the reasons why you are not happy with your first child's pediatrician and why you chose them in the first place.
  • What questions do you wish you had asked before choosing him/her?
  • What qualities you are looking for that you didn't find the first time?
  • Will you change your first child's pediatrician to the same one you choose for your second child?

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