If your child was sick, BUT...?

Question

the Pediatricaian (one who's major is in children's health) is on maternity leave for quite a while. Whould you.....

A. Just see another Pediatriatian (within the same clinic, that your child has never seen)?

or

B. Take them to another clinic to see the Family Doctor (which is where me & my husband go, and the kids have seen maybe once or twice before)


if it makes any difference.... My daughter is 1 and she keeps sticking her whole hand in her mouth & grabbing her lower jaw (she has all her teeth, except the back molors), nose is runny, sticks her finger in her ears, temp of 100.8, irratable & whiny, and eats, drinks,urinates and has BM normally.

Answer 1

If she's one, I'd let her see another pediatrician in the same clinic as your regular doctor. All of your daughters records are probably right within that same facility.
Sounds like an ear infection. Take her soon.

Answer 2

If if were my child...

I would go with the other but in the same practice pediatrician, assuming s/he is in fact a board certified pediatrician and not someone like* a GP or a family practice doc who specializes in adolescents.

I would favor the pediatrician over my own grown up person doctor because my experience suggests that often people do not keep current on details, practices, and protocols that are outside their particular specialty once they are done with their training.

I would favor sticking to the original practice/group because if my child had any kind of significant medical history, I'd want her to be seen by the doctor who at least has more immediate access to all her records instead of the doctor who will need me to bring a copy of her record and then may not look at it (or understand it).

I would favor the pediatrician in the same practice as mine because when my child's regular doctor returned from babymaking leave, I would want there to be better continuity of care. I think keeping the care in the same office and in the same record would help that.

Of course, if the other pediatrician struck me as deficient or truly dislikable, I'd call my trusted "family doctor" for a second opinion or a referal to a different pediatrician.

Answer 3

A. For many reasons.
1, they already have your child's records there.
2, who's to say that the new pediatrician isn't better than the first?
3, if the child has to come back for a recheck kind of thing, it would be a lot easier for everyone to come back to the same place where everybody knows what's going on.
4. your insurance may not cover the visit to the family doctor; you have selected the pediatrician as your PCP. His partner would be covered, but not a new doc at a new clinic.

Answer 4

Take her to another pediatrician within the same clinic. You obviously value the opinion of your regular pediatrician, I am sure that the less experienced doctors do as well. If they cannot handle whatever is wrong with your daughter, they will contact her for advice on how to handle the situation.

Answer 5

I would take her to the Pediatrician and the clinic. I understand your dilemma I have two daughters myself. BUT you need to see a few of the other doctors there at the clinic to establish a safety net for your daughter if her doctor were to not return. My childrens doctor retired, moved 120 miles away and became a teacher. We now see her replacement and the kids love her.
I like General Practicioners. However? I won't take my children to someone who sees mostly older people. I want the girls to have THEIR doctor, not mine. It is important (I feel) in this day and age that kids see someone who is fully immersed in childhood mishaps, diseases, and ailments.
Good luck. Sounds like she has an ear infection. Did you give her Motrin?

Answer 6

I would take them to the same place that you took your child previously. If it was the clinic and the pediatrician that normally sees your child is out, then I would have another pediatrician see her.

The reason being is that they would have all her records there plus all your insurance information.

Answer 7

Take her back to the pediatrician's clinic.
They have her chart there.. and they can get in touch with her doc that's on leave if need be.
Even though her doc is gone, it is still a responsibility to take care of her patients. I'm sure her partners would be able to look at her notes in the chart, without that chart the Family Doc is at quite a disadvantage...

Answer 8

I would call the pediatricians office and tell them the symptoms. I thinks she is just getting her back molars but may have an ear infection. Call the pediatrician and see if they suggest she come in. It will not harm her to see the alternate pediatrician taking over for the regular one.

Answer 9

It sounds like she's cutting teeth and it's really bothering her but I'd take her to another pediatrician in the same clinic.

Answer 10

B. Take them to see the Family Doctor where there is files on your family history.