Your Child’s First Doctor: Essential Factors When Choosing a Paediatrician

As you journey through pregnancy, filled with anticipation for your little one’s arrival, many important decisions come to the forefront. One of the very first, and most significant, of these is choosing the right Paediatrician for your child. This doctor will be your trusted partner, guiding you through your child’s health, growth, and development from those precious newborn days right through their teenage years.

I’m Dr. Santosh Madrewar. As a paediatrician and the founder of Borneo Hospital, with our dedicated mother and child care centres in Thane and Nashik, I’ve had the privilege of sharing in the joy and supporting countless new families as they begin this amazing journey. Our entire team at Borneo Hospital is committed to providing you with expert care and guidance right from these precious first moments. Choosing a paediatrician is a key part of this preparation. While my specialty is caring for you during pregnancy and delivery, ensuring a seamless transition to excellent paediatric care, like that provided by Dr. Santosh Madrewar and his team at Borneo Hospital, is something I deeply value.

This article aims to offer practical guidance on the important factors to consider when choosing a Paediatrician in India, helping you make an informed decision to build a long-term, supportive healthcare relationship for your child.

Why is Choosing the Right Paediatrician So Important?

Choosing a paediatrician is more than just finding a doctor for when they are unwell. This individual and their practice will become:

• A Long-Term Healthcare Partner: Ideally, your chosen Paediatrician will care for your child from their first newborn check-up through to adolescence, developing a deep understanding of their health history and individual needs.
• Your Trusted Advisor: They are your primary resource for evidence-based advice on a vast range of topics – from routine immunisations, nutrition, and managing common illnesses to understanding developmental milestones and addressing any behavioural concerns.
• A Champion of Preventive Care: A good paediatrician focuses heavily on keeping your child healthy. This includes regular well-child visits, crucial developmental screenings, ensuring vaccinations are up-to-date, and providing anticipatory guidance to help you navigate each stage.
• Key to Early Detection: A Paediatrician who knows your child well is often better placed to notice subtle changes or emerging concerns that might require further attention or early intervention.
• A Source of Comfort and Trust: A positive, trusting relationship with your paediatrician makes healthcare visits less stressful for both your child and you. It fosters open communication, which is essential for effective care.

When to Start Looking for a Paediatrician

It’s wise not to leave this important decision until the last minute.

• Ideally During Pregnancy: The third trimester of your pregnancy is an excellent time to start your search.
• Benefits of Early Selection: This gives you ample time to research, ask for recommendations, perhaps even meet with a few shortlisted paediatricians if they offer introductory visits, and have one selected before your baby arrives. Your baby will need their first check-up very soon after birth, often before leaving the hospital or within the first few days at home.
• For Existing Families/Relocating: If you are moving to a new area like Thane, Nashik, Raipur, or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar with young children, or if you feel the need to change your current provider, beginning your search as soon as practical is recommended.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Paediatrician

Finding the right fit involves looking at several aspects:

1. Qualifications, Credentials, and Experience:

• Medical Degrees: In India, look for a doctor with an MBBS degree followed by a specialisation in Paediatrics, such as an MD (Paediatrics), DNB (Paediatrics), or DCH (Diploma in Child Health).
• Registration & Certifications: Ensure the Paediatrician is registered with the relevant state medical council or the Medical Council of India.
• Years of Practice: Consider their years of experience in paediatric care. While newer paediatricians are also highly skilled, some parents feel more comfortable with a doctor who has many years of practice.
• Specific Interests (If Applicable): While most paediatricians offer general care, some may have developed particular interests in areas like neonatology (newborn care), asthma, allergies, or developmental issues. This might be relevant if your child has specific needs.

2. Clinic/Hospital Affiliation & Location:

• Proximity and Convenience: How close is the paediatrician’s clinic or affiliated hospital (like Borneo Hospital) to your home or workplace? This is very important for routine visits, unexpected illnesses, and emergencies, especially when managing a sick child in busy Indian cities.
• Hospital Privileges: If your child requires hospitalisation, where does the Paediatrician have admitting rights? Knowing they are affiliated with a well-equipped hospital like Borneo, which has comprehensive inpatient paediatric services and an advanced Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), can be very reassuring.
• Clinic Environment: When you visit, observe the clinic. Is it clean, hygienic, and child-friendly (e.g., welcoming waiting area, engaging toys)? Do they have procedures for managing appointments efficiently? Some clinics have separate waiting areas for sick and well children, which is a good practice.

3. Availability and Accessibility:

• Appointment System: How easy is it to schedule appointments for both routine well-child visits and urgent sick visits? What is the typical waiting time for an appointment?
• Clinic Hours: Do the clinic’s operating hours suit your family’s schedule? Is there any availability for evening or weekend consultations, if needed?
• Emergency Contact & After-Hours Care: This is crucial. Understand how the Paediatrician handles emergencies or urgent concerns that arise outside of regular clinic hours. Is there a clear procedure for after-hours advice or care? (Borneo Hospital, for example, offers 24/7 emergency services).

4. Communication Style & Philosophy of Care:

• Listening Skills & Empathy: During any interaction, assess if the paediatrician listens patiently to your concerns, answers your questions respectfully, and makes you feel heard. A good doctor makes you feel comfortable.
• Clarity of Explanation: Do they explain medical conditions, treatments, and preventive advice in simple, easy-to-understand language, avoiding unnecessary jargon?
• Approach to Key Paediatric Issues: You might want to understand their general philosophy on topics important to you, such as breastfeeding support, introduction of solid foods, immunisation schedules (e.g., adherence to the UIP schedule vs. incorporating IAP recommendations in India), judicious use of antibiotics, and managing common childhood behaviours or sleep issues. Does their approach resonate with your own parenting values (within evidence-based medical practice)?
• Rapport & Trust: Do you feel a sense of comfort and trust with this Paediatrician? Do they seem genuinely interested in your child’s health and your family’s well-being? This rapport is foundational.

5. Recommendations and Reviews:

• Trusted Referrals: Ask for recommendations from your obstetrician (like myself, Dr. Pillai), friends, family members, colleagues, or other parents in your local community whose judgment you trust.
• Online Reviews (Use with Caution): While online reviews can sometimes offer insights, approach them with a degree of caution. Look for consistent themes or patterns in feedback rather than focusing on isolated very positive or very negative comments.

6. Language and Cultural Comfort:

• Ensure you can communicate clearly and effectively with the Paediatrician in a shared language.
• Consider if the paediatrician is sensitive to and respectful of your cultural background, beliefs, and family practices (always within the bounds of safe, evidence-based medical care).

7. Clinic Support Staff:

• The nurses, receptionists, and other support staff at the clinic contribute significantly to your overall experience. Note if they are friendly, organised, helpful, and efficient.

Practical Steps in Making Your Choice

1. Compile a Shortlist: Based on recommendations, online research (e.g., searching “best Paediatrician in Thane” or “child specialist Nashik”), or hospital directories (such as the list of esteemed paediatricians at Borneo Hospital), create a list of 2-3 potential candidates.
2. Verify Credentials: You can often check basic credentials online through medical council websites or by asking the clinic directly.
3. Consider a “Meet and Greet” Visit: Many paediatric practices offer brief introductory appointments for expectant parents to meet the doctor, see the clinic, and ask a few general questions. This is an excellent opportunity to assess their communication style and your comfort level. Inquire if this option is available.
4. A Trial Visit (If Relevant): If you are changing paediatricians for an older child, you could schedule a routine check-up or a minor illness visit as a way to experience their approach.
5. Trust Your Instincts: After gathering all your information, often your gut feeling about which Paediatrician feels like the right fit for your family is a very important deciding factor.

The Paediatricians at Borneo Hospital

At Borneo Hospital, our paediatric department, under the experienced leadership of our Founder and Senior Paediatrician, Dr. Santosh Madrewar, is committed to providing comprehensive, evidence-based care for children from birth through adolescence. Our team of skilled paediatricians focuses on preventive health, meticulous developmental monitoring, ensuring timely immunisations according to national and international guidelines, providing sound nutritional guidance, and expertly managing common and complex childhood illnesses. We believe in a family-centred approach, encouraging open communication and partnering with parents across all our branches in Thane, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, and Raipur.

Building a Strong Partnership with Your Chosen Paediatrician

Once you’ve made your choice, view this as the beginning of a vital long-term healthcare partnership.

• Communicate openly and honestly about any concerns or observations you have regarding your child’s health or development.
• Attend all recommended well-child visits and ensure your child’s immunisations are kept up-to-date.
• Maintain a clear record of your child’s health history, growth, and vaccinations (your paediatrician will help with this).
• Prepare any questions you might have before your appointments to make the most of your consultation time.

Choosing the right Paediatrician for your child is indeed a significant decision, one that lays the foundation for their health and well-being for many years to come. By considering factors like qualifications, experience, clinic accessibility and environment, communication style, and above all, the rapport and trust you feel, you can find a healthcare partner who aligns with your family’s needs.

Take the time to research and choose thoughtfully. This doctor will be a valued guide, a source of expert advice, and a comforting presence through the ups and downs of your child’s growing years. The team at Borneo Hospital is dedicated to providing excellent paediatric care and supporting families in making this important choice.