Important questions to ask your child's paediatrician

Dr Irene Chan shares insights on important questions to ask your child's paediatrician. From physical growth to breastfeeding and more...

We all have questions related to our kids' health and development. Who better to answer these questions than your child's paediatrician?

We spoke to Singaporean paediatrician Dr Irene Chan to find out exactly which areas of your child's health and development you should be asking the paediatrician questions about.

Dr Chan has over 20 years of medical experience and is one of the first fully-trained paediatric intensivists in Singapore.

Click 'next' to start reading about this important information.

Questions about caring for your newborn

As new parents, you're probably bursting with questions about how to care for your newborn. Dr Chan recommends that you ask your child's paediatrician any questions you might have about looking after your new baby.

Here are some questions you could ask:

1. What is my baby’s weight, height and head circumference percentile on the growth curve for these measurements, and how does it compare to her birth measurements?

2. Are my baby’s heart rate, breathing and temperature normal for a newborn?

3. How many hours should my baby be sleeping?

4. How many naps does my baby need to have?

5. Should I wake my baby to feed?

6. How can I prevent SIDS while my baby sleeps?

7. What should be in my baby’s cot or bassinet?

8. Should I have a bedtime routine and what should it be?

9. What should I do if my baby will not sleep?

10. How many wet diapers should my baby have a day?

11. What color should my baby’s stools be?

12. How often and how should I bathe my baby?

13. What baby wash or soap should I use?

14. What kinds of things can my baby do as a newborn?

15. When do I start tummy time?

16. How should I care for the umbilical cord?

Questions about vaccinations

Getting your baby vaccinated can sometimes be a stressful event, especially for new parents.

For one, you might have heard of various conflicting theories, some advocating vaccination and others opposing vaccination. Then there's the anxiety you may experience when getting your little baby vaccinated for the first time.

While most medical research these days vigorously promotes vaccinating your child to prevent serious illness, it's best you talk further with your paediatrician if you have any concerns about vaccinating your child.

According to Dr Chan, you should ask your child's paediatrician what the vaccines are for and what side effects to expect.

Here are some other questions you could ask your child's doctor about vaccinations:

1. If booster shots are required, and when they should be given.

2. Any questions you may have about optional vaccinations such as those for Rotavirus, Influenza and Chickenpox.

3. If you have an older child, whether his/her vaccinations are up to date.

4. Find out what '5-in-1' and '6-in-1' vaccinations are.

Questions about breastfeeding

As a new mum, or even a mum of more than 1 child, breastfeeding is a topic you may have many questions about.

Dr Chan says that this is certainly a topic you should be asking your child's paediatrician questions about.

Here are some questions you could ask:

1. Are there any foods or medications that should be avoided while breastfeeding?

2. Find out how to prevent conditions like mastitis and what you should do if you develop it.

3. Find out what the paediatrician's attitude to breastfeeding is.

4. Ask the paediatrician about nipple care and if he/she can recommend a good nipple cream.

5. What should you do if your baby has trouble latching?

6. If you are planning to go back to work, ask the doctor questions about expressing and storing breastmilk:

— For how long can you keep it at room temperature?

— For how long can you keep it in the freezer?

— How should you thaw frozen breastmilk?

— Can you reuse thawed breastmilk?

Questions about illnesses

If you have a toddler or older child who goes to daycare or preschool, you may find that he/she is falling ill fairly often.

Experts say that this is a completely normal part of childhood and actually contributes to strengthening your child's immune system.

Dr Chan advises that you still ask your child's paediatrician questions pertaining to common childhood illnesses. The main questions you should be asking, according to Dr Chan, are:

1. What exactly is the illness?

2. How can I manage the illness at home?

3. When should I bring my child for a medical review again?

You could also ask the doctor about what red flags you should look out for at home that indicate that your child needs immediate medical attention.

Questions about your toddler's development

We all know that toddlers are quite different from infants in many ways, especially when it comes to their development.

Dr Chan says you should be asking your toddler's paediatrician questions related to his or her development. Here are some questions you could ask:

1. Is my child's physical growth (height, weight, head circumference) on track?

2. Is my child's language development on track?

3. What should my child be eating and how can I handle fussiness with food (if he/she is a fussy eater)?

4. How much physical activity should my child be getting?

5. How should I look after my child's teeth?

6. How should I go about potty training my child?

7. How do I deal with my child's tantrums?

8. Does my child still need an afternoon nap?

Questions related to your toddler's socialisation with others

By the time your little one is a toddler, you may notice that he or she is starting to like interacting with other kids, especially if he or she has started going to preschool.

However, if you are worried about the way your child socialises with other kids, Dr Chan recommends you raise these concerns with your child's paediatrician.

For example, you may notice that your child has started hitting or biting other kids... or he or she may be overly affectionate, hugging and kissing other kids a lot.

You might notice that he or she seems shy or withdrawn around others, or prefers being alone.

If any of these things (or any other behaviour) worry you, don't hesitate to talk to your child's doctor about these matters.

Questions about your preschooler

When it comes to your preschooler, you may have many questions to ask your child's paediatrician.

Dr Chan recommends asking questions related especially to your child's readiness for school.

Such questions could be related to the following areas:

1. Speech

2. Socialisation and interaction with other kids

3. Academic areas such as reading and writing

4. Diet, nutrition and physical activity

5. Tips to make the transition to school easier for your child

You could also ask questions related to your child's height and weight, and if you have any concerns about his or her physical development.

Another question to ask your child's paediatrician about your preschooler concerns his or her eye health, and if he or she should get his vision checked.

Written by

Nalika Unantenne

child healthnewborn healthtoddler health