Children need to visit the doctor regularly to ensure they’re developing properly, especially during the early stages of their lives. Teens and adults also need regular care. This can make scheduling and record-transfers complicated if you have to switch doctors every time your child ages out of a practice. A family medicine doctor can fill multiple roles, including your need for a pediatrician, and provide care to everyone in your family from babies to seniors.
Dr. Amit Reenu Paliwal provides regular well-child visits and other services to pediatric patients at Indus Healthcare, and can see the rest of your family as well. He has three offices, in Pomona, West Covina, and Montclair, California. Dr. Paliwal partners with you and acts as an important member of the team tasked with ensuring your child’s health.
The importance of pediatricians
Most adults can decide to visit the doctor as needed, but children rely on their parents to take them for both well- and sick-child visits, and should visit the doctor at least twice a year, if not more frequently. Infants should visit the doctor every two months until their first birthday, and then return at the following milestones for important vaccinations and other health checks.
- 15 and 18 months
- 2 and 2.5 years
- 3 and 3.5 years
- 4 and 4.5 years
- 5 and 5.5 years
- 6 years and annually thereafter
As your child gets older, their visits can space out, but it’s still recommended they receive annual check-ups. These help your doctor build a medical record for your child, keeping track of their health as they grow and develop, and ensuring their vaccinations are kept up to date to safeguard their wellbeing. Having a regular pediatrician helps familiarize your child with the doctor/patient relationship, easing anxiety and building rapport.
The benefits of family medicine
It can be difficult to keep track of appointments, especially if you have multiple children and family members under your roof. A family doctor is a physician who’s experienced in dealing with people at all stages of life, including pediatric and geriatric patients.
When your family doctor is also your pediatrician, your child can seamlessly adjust to receiving post-adolescent and adult health care. As they get older, they’ll feel more comfortable asking questions and seeking help with a doctor they already know and trust. Teenagers have to adjust to many changes as they undergo puberty and enter adulthood, and keeping the same doctor can help make the transition easier.
Need an appointment? Want to begin building a relationship with a family physician? Get in touch with the team at Indus Healthcare by calling the location closest to you, or visit the contact page for more information.
