Friday, September 11, 2009: Finding a Pediatrician
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Bookmark :
Finding
a pediatrician...
Finding a good pediatrician during your wait is an important task. It is the search for a physician that you will entrust the health of your child(ren) to. When we search for a physician for ourselves, we are looking for specific aspects of professionalism, experience, knowledge, specialty, and accessibility, among other things.
What questions do you ask when searching for a new physician?
-When searching for a gynecologist, do you prefer a woman or a man?
-When you are having difficulty seeing, do you search for a doctor that specializes in optometry?
-When you have a known medical condition, do you identify specialists in the field?
-Location and hours of operation?
-Medical training and/or area of specialty?
-Health Insurance coverage?
-Bedside manner?
-Overall mission and practice values?
Here are some thoughts to keep in mind while researching pediatricians for your Chinese child:
-Is the doctor familiar with international children?
-Does the doctor have any patients that are adopted from China?
-Will the doctor be accessible to review your child's referral and medical information quickly?
-Does the doctor have privileges or connections to the local Children's Hospital and/or International Adoption Medical Clinic?
-Does the doctor have awareness of the Chinese culture, nutrition, and institutionalization system of orphans?
-Is the doctor familiar with "flat-head" on institutionalized children caused by being laid down for long periods of time?
-Is the doctor familiar with and use "Chinese growth charts" when charting the child's growth?
-Does the doctor test for existing immunizations? There are blood tests (titers) which can measure how much the child has already been vaccinated for, rather than starting over or repeating immunizations.
-Is the doctor familiar with adoption related behaviors and concerns such as: abandonment, trauma, attachment/detachment issues, grief & loss, sleep issues and night-terrors, food related issues (hoarding, digesting & rejecting) body rocking & self-soothing, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc?
-If the child is "older" and speaking their native language initially, does the doctor speak that child's language or welcome translators?
-Is the doctor familiar with medical conditions that are common among Asian children?
-What are the doctor's opinions and suggestions for males that are not circumcised?
-Is the doctor aware that Asian children may appear "cross-eyed" in photographs due to the symmetry of their face?
Here is a link to the "Families With Children from China" website. There are multiple growth charts by gender and age. When charting the Chinese children and their growth, it is appropriate to initially chart the children's current height & weight according to Chinese standards, not American growth charts. Some professionals even say that the children should continue to be charted on the Chinese growth charts for one full year after placement in the U.S.
Chinese Growth Charts
Some common medical conditions among the Asian race are:
-Mongolian Spots (see our China Blog Post from 6/30/09)
-Lactose-intolerant; milk or dairy allergy.
-Asian "sweet blood." Many Asian children have a bad reaction to mosquito bites & bee stings.
-It is common for Asian children to have a build-up of ear wax due to the head, face, and ear canal shape. This may affect the child's hearing and even balance, at times.
Tip: If you have the resources in your community and all else is equal, why not identify an Asian doctor for your child? Please note that Bethany Christian Services is not suggesting that you select your child's physician based solely on their race or ethnicity. For example, a woman may choose a female gynecologist as their gender preference if they feel more comfortable with her. In turn, you may also select a physician for your child based on your preference for their ethnicity and/or knowledge of the above mentioned topics. This physician could also potentially serve as a successful Asian role model for your child and your family.
Bookmark :
Finding
a pediatrician...
Finding a good pediatrician during your wait is an important task. It is the search for a physician that you will entrust the health of your child(ren) to. When we search for a physician for ourselves, we are looking for specific aspects of professionalism, experience, knowledge, specialty, and accessibility, among other things.
What questions do you ask when searching for a new physician?
-When searching for a gynecologist, do you prefer a woman or a man?
-When you are having difficulty seeing, do you search for a doctor that specializes in optometry?
-When you have a known medical condition, do you identify specialists in the field?
-Location and hours of operation?
-Medical training and/or area of specialty?
-Health Insurance coverage?
-Bedside manner?
-Overall mission and practice values?
Here are some thoughts to keep in mind while researching pediatricians for your Chinese child:
-Is the doctor familiar with international children?
-Does the doctor have any patients that are adopted from China?
-Will the doctor be accessible to review your child's referral and medical information quickly?
-Does the doctor have privileges or connections to the local Children's Hospital and/or International Adoption Medical Clinic?
-Does the doctor have awareness of the Chinese culture, nutrition, and institutionalization system of orphans?
-Is the doctor familiar with "flat-head" on institutionalized children caused by being laid down for long periods of time?
-Is the doctor familiar with and use "Chinese growth charts" when charting the child's growth?
-Does the doctor test for existing immunizations? There are blood tests (titers) which can measure how much the child has already been vaccinated for, rather than starting over or repeating immunizations.
-Is the doctor familiar with adoption related behaviors and concerns such as: abandonment, trauma, attachment/detachment issues, grief & loss, sleep issues and night-terrors, food related issues (hoarding, digesting & rejecting) body rocking & self-soothing, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc?
-If the child is "older" and speaking their native language initially, does the doctor speak that child's language or welcome translators?
-Is the doctor familiar with medical conditions that are common among Asian children?
-What are the doctor's opinions and suggestions for males that are not circumcised?
-Is the doctor aware that Asian children may appear "cross-eyed" in photographs due to the symmetry of their face?
Here is a link to the "Families With Children from China" website. There are multiple growth charts by gender and age. When charting the Chinese children and their growth, it is appropriate to initially chart the children's current height & weight according to Chinese standards, not American growth charts. Some professionals even say that the children should continue to be charted on the Chinese growth charts for one full year after placement in the U.S.
Chinese Growth Charts
Some common medical conditions among the Asian race are:
-Mongolian Spots (see our China Blog Post from 6/30/09)
-Lactose-intolerant; milk or dairy allergy.
-Asian "sweet blood." Many Asian children have a bad reaction to mosquito bites & bee stings.
-It is common for Asian children to have a build-up of ear wax due to the head, face, and ear canal shape. This may affect the child's hearing and even balance, at times.
Tip: If you have the resources in your community and all else is equal, why not identify an Asian doctor for your child? Please note that Bethany Christian Services is not suggesting that you select your child's physician based solely on their race or ethnicity. For example, a woman may choose a female gynecologist as their gender preference if they feel more comfortable with her. In turn, you may also select a physician for your child based on your preference for their ethnicity and/or knowledge of the above mentioned topics. This physician could also potentially serve as a successful Asian role model for your child and your family.
