Leaving the NICU is both an exciting and anxiety provoking time for most parents of preemies. After all the ups and downs in the NICU, it's common for parents to be cautious and concerned about their preemies health and development.
One of your best allies while getting through this time should be your pediatrician, so here are a few questions you should ask to help you choose the right one:
Ask prospective pediatricians about office hours, and how they handle calls from parents during and outside these hours. Do they take the calls themselves and do they charge for advice given over the phone?
Find out who your child will see if they get sick. Are their other pediatricians or staff that are in charge of sick visits, or does your pediatrician generally see all of their patients themselves?
If the pediatrician practices alone, find out who takes over when they are out of the office? Does whoever fills in take your insurance, and will they have access to your child's records?
How do they handle making referrals to specialists? Is there any specific follow up they would recommend for your preemie, and are they willing to refer you for any follow up you'd like your baby to receive?
Do they have experience caring preemies or special needs children? Do they like to manage any specific problems your baby has on their own, or do they prefer to refer patients for specialty care?
There are really no right or wrong answers to these questions, but they should help you decide whether or not a particular pediatrician will live up to your personal expectations and make you feel comfortable with the level of care your child is receiving.
The information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace or supersede advice from your doctor. If you have concerns about your child’s health or well being, consult their doctor right away.
Authored by Kristie McNealy MD, founder of NICU 101. For reprint permission, or to publish on your site, contact Kristie.
Thanks for this great advice! I wish I'd seen it before we had our preemies. With our first, I just picked a pediatrician well-liked by people I knew. I wasn't that thrilled with her. When I was expecting twins, I knew that treating a preemie is different than treating a term baby, and I knew there was a good chance the twins would be preemies.
I chose a neonatal specialist who had a pediatric practice. She actually used to run the local NICU before going into practice. Anyway, she did so many things differently... adjusted age for weight and height charts, made recommendations that were obviously guided by the fact the babies were preemies, etc. It made a huge difference.
It's definitely good to find a pediatrician for your preemie who has a lot of preemie experience.
Well, before my child came out of the NICU the doctor's that she had there were already helping me to pick a doctor. The doctor I chose, was the one we already had as a family physician. He was sent baby news letters every week on how she was doing, then when we came home he was called by the staff and prepared by a phone call that she was coming home and that she would need to be seen in three days. They informed him of her regular checkups that she would need with him and gave him their phone numbers at the hospital, so he could get ahold of them at anytime. Our Neonatal doctors in the hospital, also saw her repeatedly in their clinic for the first year to make sure she was growing adequately.
She was given RSV shots regularly from October to April for the first two years. These shots are given at a special clinic with nurses that travel from 500 miles away. She also was in a state program called ECI which brings theropist, nurses, or anything that the baby needs to your house. They have even paid for nannys for mutiple babys. It is not based on financial qualifications, you can be poverty level and pay nothing, or rich and pay a small amount. They do charge your insurance, but it is all worth it. Our daughter was born at 2lbs 7oz, but was full of fluid. Her actual weight was 1lb 12oz's. Her stay in the nicu was a roller coaster ride, full of ups and downs. We made it though and trust me the doctors and good nurse's will help you find your way before you head home.
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