Pediatric Medicine

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends people seek pediatric care through the age of 21 because of the physiological and emotional differences between adults and children.

Hillcroft Physician's provider seeing a pediatric patient

Overview

The study of pediatrics aims to reduce infant and child rates of death and illness, control the spread of infectious disease, promote healthy lifestyles for long healthy life and ease the problems of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

Our providers diagnose and treat several conditions among children, including:

  • Injuries
  • Infections
  • Organ diseases and dysfunctions
  • Genetic and congenital conditions
  • Cancers

Pediatric care is concerned about immediate management of a child and long-term effects on quality of life, disability, and health. Our providers are involved with the prevention, early detection, and management of problems, including:
 

  • Nutritional challenges
  • Developmental delays and disorders
  • Behavioral problems
  • Functional disabilities
  • Mental disorders including depression and anxiety disorders

Pediatric Medicine Services

  • Adolescent medicine
  • Immunizations and vaccinations
  • Preventative healthcare 
  • Developmental and behavioral pediatrics
  • Diagnostic laboratory immunology
  • Treatment of acute and chronic illnesses 
  • Neonatal-perinatal medicine
  • Pediatric critical care medicine
Hillcroft Physician's provider seeing a pediatric patient

Health Tips & Info

Why is it so important for children to see a doctor regularly?

Regular check-ups for children and updating immunizations and vaccinations can help eliminate potential health issues before they become a problem. When a family visits a doctor regularly, health conditions are easier to detect, disabilities, and illnesses are easier to treat with less chance for long-term effects and disease complications.

How often should my child see a doctor?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends seven well-child visits between the ages of 1 and 4.

  • 12 months
  • 15 months
  • 18 months
  • 24 months
  • 30 months
  • 3 years
  • 4 years

After four years of age, it’s recommended that children visit a doctor for an annual check-up.

Due to individual health problems, some children may need to visit the doctor more often than the recommended schedule. Anytime a parent notices a problematic change in a child’s if you are concerned about your child’s health, you should immediately schedule an appointment with your child’s pediatrician.

Regular visits to the doctor can prevent health problems and sickness to the family and the whole family. It’s never a good idea to wait for a health problem to occur and wait too long for treatment.

What are the three most common reasons children go to the doctor?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a bad cough is the most frequent illness-related reason for all of those annual physician visits. Children usually cough when a common cold causes mucus to trickle down the back of the throat.

According to the CDC, five out of six children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday, and one out of every five visits to the doctor are due to ear infections.

The American Journal of Infection Control recently announced in a survey that 3 million school days are lost each year due to acute conjunctivitis, or pink eye. A virus, bacteria, or an allergic reaction most commonly causes pink eye, inflammation of the membrane that covers the inside of your child’s eyelids and the white part of the eye.