The Pediatrician: Up To What Age Should Children Go?
When parents notice that their children are entering puberty, or when they are already teenagers, it is normal to wonder if their child should still see a pediatrician or another doctor.
While the common belief is that a pediatrician only looks after children, patients between the ages of 14 and 18 can still go there.
So if you are not sure about the role of your pediatrician or whether your child should already see a family doctor, we will now help you to clarify these questions.
The role of a pediatrician
The child’s connection with their doctor is usually formed in the first few days of their lives. From then on, the pediatrician is responsible for ensuring his or her health.
During the first months and years of their life, children see a doctor about four to five times a year. Once puberty begins, they go about once a year, unless an accident occurs.
Paediatricians are obviously doctors but also a kind of coach for parents, helping them with the best nutrients, disease prevention and questions about their children’s growth.
Pediatric medicine is therefore one of the most complex specializations in medicine.
How often should children go to the pediatrician?
Visits to the pediatrician depend on the age and health of the child:
- For newborns who do not have any diseases, the first visit should be about five to ten days after birth.
- Up to the age of six months you should go to the pediatrician with your baby once a month to have all changes related to his growth recorded and controlled.
- Routine examinations should take place every two months for between six and twelve months. Of course, only if there are no illnesses in between.
- In the first year of life, visits to the pediatrician take place every three months.
- Between the ages of two and five, you should go to the doctor with your child every six months.
- From then on, until around twelve to fourteen years of age, a routine check-up takes place once a year.
The pediatrician should be the one who examines your child when they are sick. He is best informed because he has been there for your child since birth and knows his medical history.
He is also experienced in prescribing the right dose of medication for your child. For more serious problems, he can refer your child to a specialist.
If your child is over 15, they can also see a family doctor. The decision is up to you and your child.
Why do some parents still go to the pediatrician with their teenagers?
At the age of 15 and older, adolescents no longer have to go to the pediatrician and can instead make an appointment with a family doctor or a specialist for a specific illness.
But why do some parents still go to the pediatrician with them?
The parents’ trust and the relationship they have with the pediatrician make it difficult for them to recognize a medical opinion of someone they consider a stranger to their child.
Not only do the parents hold on to this relationship as the only medical reference, in many cases the child has also found someone they can trust in their doctor.
This is a very positive relationship because it helps children communicate and ask openly questions about their growing bodies.
Remember that the globally acceptable age at which your child can go to the pediatrician is up to 14 years. Often, however, it is a question of a pediatrician who can then be visited until the age of 18.
