CLEVELAND — A lot of parents would love to have a pediatrician on speed-dial. Questions pop up all the time. In this week's Mom Squad Pod, we “Ask the Pediatrician” with Dr. Gina Robinson from the Cleveland Clinic. Our squad submitted some of the most popular questions parents have, and she answered.
For example: When am I overreacting to my child being sick?
“I think fever is the one symptom that sends people just right to the ledge. And we have to remember fever is the body's natural response to fighting the infection. So fever in itself isn't bad, we have to think about what's causing the fever,” says Dr. Robinson.
“Our response shouldn't be immediately, we need to stop this fever. Our response should be, what does my child look like. Because you can have a low grade temp and sometimes a little bit higher and you can have - especially a toddler who is running around, looking fine, but is feeling hot.”
On the flip side, what symptom do parents under-react to?
“In light of what's going on with the pandemic, I think respiratory symptoms that are getting worse. So, I think sometimes by the time we've gotten a call, a child is wheezing and breathing fast and really in kind of a little bit of distress. So, if you feel like that cough is getting worse or the breathing is getting worse, call then. Don't wait -- don't try to wait it out,” advises Dr. Robinson.
For more advice on everything from how to choose a pediatrician to what screenings your child should have done before school starts, check out the entire interview on the podcast, Mom Squad Pod -- anywhere you download your podcasts.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player below is from a previous edition of the Mom Squad Pod podcast.