Choosing a paediatrician: what to look for and when to change

Choose before the birth

Ideally in the last trimester, so the first newborn visit is not a scramble. Ask your obstetrician, ask other parents in your building or neighbourhood, and check who covers the hospital where you plan to deliver.

Qualifications: MD or DNB in Paediatrics, or DCH with experience. For a preterm or unwell newborn, a neonatologist's involvement matters. Registration can be checked on the state medical council register.

Practicalities that decide whether you actually go: distance, clinic hours including evenings and Sundays, waiting times, whether appointments are given or it is first-come, and what happens at 2 a.m. — is there a phone number, an associate, or a hospital to go to?

Hospital attachment matters more than families expect: if your child needs admission, you want a doctor who can admit and follow up somewhere you are willing to go.

What actually matters in the doctor

Do they examine the child properly, every time, rather than prescribing across a desk? Do they explain what they found, in words you follow, and what would change the plan?

Do they say 'this is viral, no antibiotic needed, here is what to watch for'? A paediatrician who prescribes an antibiotic for every fever is doing your child no favours — antibiotic overuse in Indian paediatrics is a real problem, and a doctor who resists it is a good sign, not a lazy one.

Do they take your observations seriously? A parent saying 'something is different about him' is data, and a good paediatrician treats it that way.

Do they push growth-chart plotting, vaccination on schedule, and development questions, rather than only treating illness? Preventive care is most of paediatrics.

And do they answer questions without irritation — including the ones you found on the internet at midnight?

Red flags, and switching

Warning signs: an antibiotic or a steroid at every visit, multi-drug cocktails and syrups for a common cold, tonics and immunity boosters sold from the clinic, no examination, dismissiveness about your concerns, or refusal to explain a prescription.

Also worth noticing: pressure to do unnecessary tests, a clinic that pushes its own pharmacy hard, and a doctor who will not give a straight answer about vaccine schedules or costs.

Getting a second opinion is normal and is not disloyalty. For a significant diagnosis, a planned surgery, or a treatment you do not understand, take the reports to another paediatrician. Good doctors expect it.

Switching is allowed and easy — take a copy of the records, the vaccination card and the growth chart with you. The relationship matters, and if you dread the visits or do not trust the advice, that is reason enough.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Government hospital or private clinic? — District hospitals and medical colleges have experienced paediatricians and handle the most complex cases; the trade-off is waiting and less continuity. Many families use a private paediatrician for routine care and a government hospital's paediatric emergency for serious problems, which is a perfectly sensible arrangement.

Q: How often should we see the paediatrician when the baby is well? — Roughly at each vaccination visit through the first two years, which gives regular growth and development checks — around six to eight visits in the first year.

Q: My paediatrician gets annoyed at questions from the internet. — Bring specific questions rather than printouts, and ask what they think rather than for a rebuttal. A doctor who cannot tolerate any question at all, though, is telling you something.

Q: What should I take to every visit? — The MCP or vaccination card, the growth chart, a note of current medicines, and a written list of your questions. The list is the item most parents forget and most regret.