Frequently Asked Questions
When do I bring in my baby for well visits?
We typically see newborns within a few days after being released from the hospital. After this initial visit, we schedule well visits at 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months and 2 years. After 2 years of age we see children for well visits on a yearly basis, though some insurances do allow a 30 month physical. You may want to check with your insurance carrier, as coverage and length between well visits vary from plan to plan.
What should I do if my child has fever?
Fever does not have to cause fear. It is an indication of illness, but does not distinguish between viruses or bacteria. Certainly, fever can make children feel poorly, which leads to less eating and less drinking, but there are ways to improve how they feel until their illness can run its course. Fever is any temperature 100.4F or greater; it becomes concerning if it is reaching 105F and not going down. Ways to get your child’s temperature down include by providing acetaminophen (tylenol), ibuprofen (motrin/advil, only if your child is over 6 months old), applying cool cloths to head, tummy, under arms, or groin area, or placing your child into a room temperature bath. Any other symptoms associated with the fever will guide the doctors to determine what may be wrong. We are happy to see your child in the office if fever occurs; if the fever occurs outside of office hours, feel free to call 361.851.0000 to speak with one of our physicians for further guidance.
What should I do if my child is vomiting?
Vomiting is most worrisome if it is persistent and preventing your child from keeping any fluids down. The younger your child is, the more at risk they are for developing dehydration from vomiting. If your child vomits, first, don’t give anything by mouth for 30 minutes. Then, you can offer a SMALL amount of clear fluids (depending on their age, this may be pedialyte, water, gatorade, or powerade) in small sips, about every 5 minutes. If they tolerate this, you can continue to monitor them and continue small frequent sips of clear fluids until they are feeling better. If they cannot tolerate any fluids by mouth and everything is being thrown up, call our office at 361.851.0000 for further guidance, any time of the day or night. When your child is having vomiting, do not worry about them taking foods; it is okay if they only take liquids for a day or two until they are feeling better. If the vomiting is associated with severe abdominal pain, call the office or take them to the ER for further evaluation, as this could be a surgical emergency.
When should I take my child to the emergency room?
Often, issues that occur both during and after office hours can be handled in the office or at home. Some things that would constitute an emergency and necessitate an ER visit would include persistent vomiting associated with severe abdominal pain, lethargy to the point that your child is not responding to you, fever >105F that will not go down, bumps to the head that cause vomiting or loss of consciousness, car accidents, or the possibility of broken bones. Whether these events occur during or after office hours, we are always available by phone at 361.851.0000 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, so do not hesitate to contact us for guidance on whether or not your child needs to be seen in the ER. We do our best to keep simple issues out of the ER so that true emergencies can be taken care of in a timely manner by those working in the local emergency rooms. We will help you assess the situation and determine what course of action, if any, is necessary. Please note, however, the doctor will not be able to prescribe any medication without seeing your child, thus no medications will be prescribed after hours.
I think my child may have ADD/ADHD, what do I need to do to get that evaluated?
All of our physicians use Vanderbilt questionnaires to start the assessment for ADD/ADHD, one filled out by a parent and another filled out by a teacher. These forms will need to be completed before the appointment will be scheduled. Most ADHD evaluations are scheduled the last appointment of the morning or the last appointment of the afternoon in order to allow ample time to discuss concerns. The doctor will review the questionnaire results and discuss parental concerns in detail to determine if the diagnosis is present and whether treatment is required.
Why are we sometimes on one side of the clinic, and other times on the other side?
The area of the clinic that previously was a pharmacy is now a ‘well child’ area. One day each week, our practitioners take turns seeing patients in this area. Visits seen on these days are ones in which a child generally is well, and not sick, such as for yearly physicals, sports physicals, ADHD follow ups, asthma follow ups, or pre-operative exams. There may be times that a sick child is seen in this area due to them becoming ill at the time of their previously scheduled well appointment, but in general, non-contagious issues are seen on this smaller side of the clinic.
Will there be a co-pay for every visit?
Yes, generally, there is a co-pay for each sick visit to the office, though most well child checks (physicals) will not have a co-pay. Since co-pays are determined by your insurance company and not our office, however, there may be some variation between plans and between visit types. Also, if a ‘sick’ issue is discussed at a well child check, your insurance may decide a co-pay is necessary. If you are concerned, you can always contact our billing department or your insurance company with questions.
Why is it important for a provider from Pediatrics to be listed as my child’s primary care physician (PCP) with my insurance?
If your insurance requires a PCP and one of our providers is not listed, the charges may be denied by your insurance and you may be responsible for paying for all dates of service not covered. Please note: it does not matter which provider from our group is listed on your insurance card, as long as it is one of our current physicians.
Can I leave a message for the doctor and expect a call back?
Yes. When you leave a message at our office, your call will be returned either by a nurse or one of the doctors, generally the same day, but definitely within 24-48 hours. If your child has a problem or concern that the nurse cannot help with, or you have a concern that needs to be addressed specifically by one of the doctors, the message will be passed on to the physician so s/he may return your call at her/his earliest convenience. If an appointment is necessary to address the problem, the nurse can also assist you in scheduling a visit. As always, if your child has a life-threatening emergency, please call 911. Please note, we do attempt to leave voicemails if we call and you are unable to answer; it is helpful if your voicemail is set up and not full so that we may do this and so that you are aware we have attempted to contact you.
Is your office accepting new patients?
Yes, we are accepting new patients from birth through 17 years old. If you are delivering your first child, inform your nurse in the hospital that our office will be serving as your pediatrician and they will contact our on call doctor once your child is born. You will then come for your first visit with us a few days after your child is born.
Will my insurance cover my newborn to be seen by your office?
Generally, yes, this is not an issue. We do recommend you contact your insurance company once your child is born to inform them they will need to be added to your policy so that this can be done in a timely manner.
Does your office perform circumcisions?
Yes, two of the physicians in our office perform plastibell circumcisions. Feel free to contact us with questions.
Does your office recommend vaccinations?
We recommend and encourage following the routine CDC vaccination schedule (found here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/child-adolescent.html), however we understand that vaccines are ultimately a choice of each child’s parent. Thus, we do allow alternative or delayed vaccine schedules as chosen by the parent. For anyone choosing not to follow the recommended CDC vaccination schedule, we will require a refusal to vaccinate form to be signed at each well child check (found here: https://downloads.aap.org/DOPCSP/SOID_RTV_form_01-2019_English.pdf) and we require your child still be seen for all routine well child checks so that development and growth can be properly monitored. Please feel free to contact our office with further questions.