Many pediatricians will see their patients through age 18 or 21, but is your pediatrician still right for your child once adolescence strikes? Find out what the experts say.
At my son’s last visit to the pediatrician, they kicked him out. After all, at age 21, 5’8,” with a full beard and a voice octaves lower than anyone else in the waiting room, he did feel a little out of place—maybe it was the pop-up books in the reading area, the Sesame Street toys littering the floor, or the cartoon character Band-Aids.
Ryan knew it was time to go, after years of waiting for his appointments next to moms nursing newborns and cranky toddlers with runny noses. But he always loved his pediatrician and didn’t want to leave before he had to.
When is it time to cut the umbilical cord?
That’s a good question to ask, suggests Dr. Lawrence D’Angelo, president of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. And the answer, he says, “depends on both the patient and the pediatrician.”
What to ask your child
As your child enters adolescence, reassess whether the child and doctor are a good fit by asking these questions:
- Do you feel comfortable in the doctor’s waiting room?
- Do you feel comfortable with the doctor during examinations?
- Are you able to talk about issues such as sex, substance abuse or mental health issues with your doctor?
- Do you trust your doctor to keep your confidentiality?
Some teens may want to switch to a doctor of the same gender at this age, so listen to your child’s feelings on that issue as well, says D’Angelo.
What to ask the pediatrician
Teens not only need a doctor who can take care of their everyday health concerns and can discuss changes due to puberty, but someone they can talk to about physical and emotional issues including eating disorders, peer pressure, sexual behavior and drug use, says D’Angelo. So whomever your child sees “should be trained, skilled and interested in caring for adolescents.” Here’s what to ask the doctor:
- Do you feel comfortable caring for my adolescent?
- Do you feel comfortable and plan on discussing at-risk behavioral issues that will affect my child as a teenager?
- Do you belong to any organizations interested in the care of adolescents?
- Do you provide confidential healthcare for adolescents?