If you want to make sure you’re asking the right questions at your child’s doctor’s visits, ask yourself if you brought up one of the following during your last trip:
- How is he/she growing?
- What should he/she be doing at this age?
- How much should he/she be eating?
- What immunizations is he/she getting today?
These questions are the questions pediatricians hear most often at well-child visits, said Dr. Jaclyn Anderson, a pediatrician with St. Elizabeth Physicians.
“These are all age-appropriate questions for a well check, and when parents ask these questions it shows how they hope they are doing well and keeping up with other children their age,” Anderson said. “It also shows they are interested in keeping them healthy and are ready to make changes if needed to keep their child healthy.”
Over the phone and during sick visits, pediatricians most often hear these two questions:
5.How high is too high for a fever?
6. How can I make a cough go away?
When asked the first question, Anderson said she tells parents that a fever is a sign the body is trying to fight off an infection.
“Fevers are nothing to be afraid of,” she said. “Most parents want to know when to go to the emergency room for a fever. In reality, though, for most healthy children over 2 months of age there is no reason to go to the emergency room for a fever unless it’s accompanied by difficulty breathing or the inability to drink.”
Although Anderson said there are other reasons to go to the emergency room with a fever, such as severe abdominal pain, neck pain or extreme fussiness, the best option is to call your pediatrician before making the trip. He or she will be able to tell you whether you can stay at home and schedule an appointment in the office for the next day or if you should go to the emergency room.
If your child is under 2 months of age, Anderson stressed, any temperature at or above 100.4 degrees is considered a fever and you should call the pediatrician.
Most doctors will recommend acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help relieve some of the discomfort related to a fever, Anderson said, but they won’t necessarily make the fever “go away.” Also, remember that you should never give Tylenol to babies under 2 months of age or ibuprofen to children under 6 months of age.
With regard to getting rid of your child’s cough, Anderson said, pediatricians do not recommend any over-the-counter cold medications for children under 6 years old.
You can try basic honey (around one-half teaspoon to 1 teaspoon) to help with a cough in a child older than 1 year, but do not give honey to a child less than 1 year old. Instead, try nasal saline drops to help alleviate the congestion that causes a cough. You can also try elevating the head, especially during sleep, or using a humidifier in the room.
