If you are a new parent and your General Physician is the go-to for all kinds of illnesses your child is facing, please read further because you might want to reconsider what you are doing.  Yes, your family doctor might be the safest you know, but a Pediatrician is a specialised doctor and is hence more qualified and equipped to deal with your child’s health related issues.
Understanding why pediatrics is different -There are a lot of differences between pediatrics and medicine for adults as infants and children, with their smaller body sizes, need to be understood more carefully as their physiology is significantly different from adults.
-Pediatricians do not just provide medical care for children suffering from acute or chronic illnesses, but they also provide preventive health services to ensure that a child’s physical, mental and emotional well-being at all stages are intact.
-A Pediatrician does not just focus on the immediate treatment to cure a child’s illness, but also focuses on the future of the child by ensuring that there are no long-term effects which may lead to disabilities, compromised quality of life and sometimes even survival.
-One of the primary goals of pediatrics is to control the spread of infectious diseases and to control child mortality to the extent possible. Promoting healthy lifestyle by suggesting required changes in diet, living conditions, physical activities is also a top priority in the field of pediatrics.

What do the Pediatricians diagnose and treat? -A pediatrician diagnoses issues ranging from injuries, infections to cancers and genetic or inherited conditions.They are also involved in the prevention, early detection and management of several health problems like disorders, behavioural problems, growth issues, mental issues like anxiety and depression.
-In treating children, pediatricians often need to collaborate with doctors of other specialities while there are also some subspecialties in pediatrics which include Pediatric Cardiology, Critical care treatment, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Neonatal medication, Pediatric Nephrology, Pediatric Hematology, Endocrinology among others.
Thus, a pediatrician plays a vital role in growth and development of a child, which is why pediatric care is important even for the healthiest of children.