Should I Take My Child to the Pediatrician During the COVID-19 Outbreak?

Many pediatricians have a set vaccine schedule to make sure babies (particularly those under 6 months of age) get their vaccines to protect against dangerous health diseases. However, it’s important to weigh the risk versus the benefits of sticking to a vaccine schedule during COVID-19.

“For children older than two years, waiting is probably fine — in most cases," Dr. Claire McCarthy wrote in her article, "Is it safe to see the pediatrician for vaccines and medical visits?" on the Harvard Health blog. "For some children with special health conditions, or those who are behind on immunizations, waiting may not be a good idea,” she advised.

A phone call to your pediatrician will help you ascertain what the biggest risk is for your child. Maryland mom Carolyn Moir Choate told Mom.com that her pediatrician postponed vaccines for a month. “I feel a little on edge about it but I’m reminding myself that the baby isn’t out seeing anyone, so she’s not going to get sick or spread sickness,” she said.

Remember that if you are social distancing, you are keeping your child away from not just coronavirus, but many other exposures such as pneumococcus and pertussis.

Beyond your regularly scheduled checkups and vaccines, you may suddenly find yourself dealing with a sick or injured child. Telemedicine has been around for a while but has really had a light shone on it with the coronavirus outbreak; people don’t want to go to doctors’ offices or emergency rooms. The good news is there is a lot your doctor can do to diagnose (and treat) your child through a virtual doctor visit.

Some of the many conditions your doctor can diagnose through a virtual doctor visit include:

• Pink eye
• Allergies
• Constipation
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Earaches
• Fever
• Insect bites
• Vomiting
• Sore throats
• Rash

These are all common issues most parents go to the doctor for but don’t need to. “Telehealth eliminates the commute, wait time, tantrums, and even the germs you and your children experience in a traditional office,” Dr. Adrian Rawlinson of Upswing Health told Mom.com. These are all huge benefits while you stay at home during the pandemic trying to avoid exposure while making sure your child remains healthy.

If your child does need a prescription — say for ear drops for an earache — the doctor will write a prescription directly to the pharmacy. You can either pick it up directly or have the prescription mailed to your home, depending on the urgency.

There are some conditions and illnesses where you can’t avoid going to an actual doctor’s office or emergency room. This could be for an acute injury such as your child fell and broke his arm; in this instance, a doctor will need to set the fracture and place the arm in a cast.

If you do need to take your child to the doctor, you’ll want to make sure you take some precautions to reduce overall exposure:

• Set an appointment: If possible, don’t just show up to an emergency room where you will wait for an undetermined amount of time around people whose health condition you are unaware of.
• Show up on time: While most doctors appreciate people being early for appointments, don’t show up too early so that you are congregating.
• Avoid things in the waiting room: The fewer things you come in contact with, the less your exposure is. This might include not sitting in chairs, reading magazines, or letting your child play with the puzzles.
• Wear masks: Both you and your child should be wearing face masks to reduce exposure. However, the CDC cautions that, "Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2," as well as those who are having trouble breathing, are unconscious, incapacitated, or cannot remove the mask without assistance.
• Use hand sanitizier: You'll be touching pens, doorknobs, and a myriad of other things. Bring sanitizer with you.
• Go straight home: Limit exposure and get home. If you need a prescription, ask your doctor to call it in ahead of time and make sure it is ready before you go in and have to wait.

Doctors are prepared to help patients get the medical attention they need while dealing with the pandemic. Whether you are using telemedicine or going in, use common sense and a healthy dose of precaution to keep you and your child safe.