It’s a dilemma every parent faces. Your child has a fever and is acting listless. Should you take your child to the doctor? Or treat your child’s symptoms on your own?

During a recent appearance on the Medicine Center Pharmacy Health Matters program, Dr. Brandon Liebau, pediatric specialist with Aultman Medical Group Family Medicine of Stark County, shared guidance on when to take your child to the doctor.

Wellness Visits

It’s important to get established with a pediatrician or family medicine provider for wellness visits when your child is a newborn, Dr. Liebau said.

Frequent wellness visits are recommended when children are under age 3; your physician will provide a schedule. Beginning at age 3, annual visits are recommended.

Your child’s healthcare provider assesses physical and mental health, developmental milestones and even social well-being. There is also a recommended vaccine schedule that can help keep your child safe from serious diseases.

More importantly, however, the provider gets to know your child’s needs and can catch issues before they become more serious.

And even if your child appears to be healthy, it’s vital to keep up annual wellness checks.

“We’re looking to make sure that kids are developing appropriately, and we’re screening for health issues that may be developing under the surface,” Dr. Liebau said. “It may not be as obvious as a cough or a cold, but maybe there’s something that affects the child’s overall well-being. These can be things that parents don’t know to look for or might not be able to recognize.”

Most kids get a clean bill of health, Dr. Liebau said, but check-ins with their healthcare provider help head off any problems.

Sick Visits

How do you know if you should take your child to the doctor’s office when they aren’t feeling well?

Dr. Liebau said it often depends on the severity of the symptoms and how comfortable parents are with nurturing their child back to health.

But there are instances when parents should not hesitate to take their child to a healthcare provider. Parents should seek medical care right away for a newborn under 2 months of age who has a fever. A fever is a temperature of 100.4 F or higher.

“For babies that age, a fever is considered an emergency for that child,” Dr. Liebau said. “There’s a higher risk at that age for a serious bacterial infection, things like meningitis, pneumonias and other issues that can be life-threatening for that child. They should be seen by a doctor – even a doctor in an emergency room.”

A child of any age should see a healthcare provider if their symptoms seem more intense and the parents are uncertain about how serious the illness is.

“Any time parents are seeing something more severe, outside their comfort level, they should absolutely take their child to the doctor because maybe there is something more serious going on,” Dr. Liebau said. “The doctor may have treatment recommendations that will help the child feel better sooner.”

Above all, when parents have questions or are uncertain about anything related to their child’s health, they should call their child’s healthcare provider. The provider can reassure them or recommend next steps.

For more answers to questions parents commonly ask about their child’s health, listen to Dr. Liebau’s appearance on Health Matters.

Looking for a Provider?

If you are looking for a primary care provider, Aultman Medical Group Primary Care has more than 80 providers ready to take care of you and your family. Many of our offices are accepting new patients – and more than likely, we have a location in your community.

Visit aultman.org/NewDoc to find a provider in your area who is accepting new patients, or call the new patient hotline at 330-433-1264 for assistance with scheduling your appointment.