Pas de trois – A dance that requires three people. This “dance” can also describe the balance in having a successful doctor-parentchild relationship. I sat down for a Q&A with Dr. Preeti Parikh to ask her how we as parents can have such a successful relationship with our child’s Doctor. Dr. Preeti Parikh is a Board-Certified Pediatrician holding degrees from The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Columbia University. She currently is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Pediatrics Department at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and works in private practice in New York City. She also serves as the Medical Director of Programming at HealthiNation.com. Her interests include preventive medicine, advocacy and patient education. Her goal is to empower both parents and children with the right knowledge and tools to achieve their optimal health. She enjoys her free time with her husband and twins. She is also the contributing Pediatrician for the upcoming book “What to Do When You Are Having Two” to be published next year, written by our very own Natalie Diaz, founder of Twiniversity. Q: What type of doctor should a child have? A: There are two types of doctors that take care of children. One is Family Medicine doctors. They practice pediatrics and several other areas such as internal medicine, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology. The second is Pediatricians. These are medical doctors that specialize in newborns to young adults up to age 21. Q: How can a parent find the right doctor for their child? A: It is great to get recommendations, but you should also conduct your own research. Check their credentials to see if they are multiplicity
board certified, where they trained, and if their standing is good in the hospital. Also, if your child has special needs, it is important to make sure the doctor you choose is qualified to care for those needs. The most important quality of finding a doctor is one who you feel comfortable with and have mutual respect. Your doctor may not share your views on all aspects of your child’s medical care or parenting, but the key is to have a comfort level. The best way to find out if a doctor is a good match for your family is to meet the physician in person. You can make an appointment to meet with your potential doctor to find out firsthand if they are a compatible fit for your family. You will be spending a lot of time with your children’s doctor so you want to make sure you will have a functional relationship. Something important to consider is how they approach doctoring. Some physicians are open to making a decision together with the child’s parent and having an inclusive dialogue. Others may prefer to be paternal/ maternal in their doctoring. This does not involve as much of a dialogue, but allowing the doctor to advise you, the parent, about what is best. Also, if you like to follow homeopathic treatments, then you would want to find a doctor who is familiar and comfortable with that sort of treatment. Q: What factors can influence the doctor/ parent relationship? A: Open communication is the key to a good relationship! You should never feel intimidated to talk to your child’s doctor about your viewpoints on your child’s care or your parenting style. You should always be able to have an open dialogue with your physician. If one or both parties are set in their own viewpoints and are not open to having a dialogue, proper care for the child can break down. the must-have magazine for all moms of multiples
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