Our children are our future. Nothing is more important to parents than the health of our kids. An essential part of the care we provide for them are regular visits to their pediatrician. A pediatrician is a child's physician who provides not only medical care for children who are acutely or chronically ill but also proactive, preventive health services for healthy children. A pediatrician manages the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the children under their care at every stage of development, in both sickness and health.
Pediatrics is the branch of medicine dealing with the developmental health and medical care of infants, children, and adolescents from birth up to the age of 18. The goals of the study of pediatrics is to reduce infant and child rate of deaths, control the spread of infectious disease, and to promote healthy lifestyles for a long disease-free life. These health professionals also strive to help ease the problems of children and adolescents with chronic conditions which hinder health and growth.
Child health pros are in it for the long haul. Pediatrics is concerned not only about immediate management of the ill child but also long term effects on quality of life, disability and survival of the patient. Pediatricians are involved with the prevention, early detection, and management of problems. Pediatrics is a collaborative specialty and pediatricians need to work closely with other medical specialists and healthcare professionals and subspecialists of paediatrics to help children with problems.
As a matter of healthy normal growth, children pass rapidly through many developmental stages of cognitive, emotional, and physical growth and maturation. Successful completion of each stage is important to their health in the next. Children have fewer chronic physical ailments than adults, and that makes it harder to reliably measure performance related to the care of chronic conditions among children. There is a growing literature from pediatricians documenting quality-of-care problems specific to children.
As in all health matters prevention is key. All children should have regular well-child check ups according to the schedule recommended by their physician or pediatrician. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises that children be seen for well-baby check ups at two weeks, two months, four months, six months, nine months, twelve months, fifteen months, and eighteen months. Well-child visits are recommended at ages two, three, four, five, six, eight, 10, and annually thereafter through age 21. In addition, an immunization schedule should be followed to protect against disease and infection. As of 2004, the AAP and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that many essential childhood immunizations be administered by age two.
Board Certified Primary Care providers are trained to care for you through all stages of life. Focused on building an on-going relationship, they help you stay well, treat you when you are sick and educate you on prevention and wellness to keep you and your family healthy.
Phone: 352-237-4133
Fax: 352-873-4581
E-mail: info@ocalafmc.com
