Why the Right Paediatrician Matters
A paediatrician is not just a doctor — they are a long-term partner in your child's health, ideally from birth through adolescence. The quality of that relationship affects how confidently you navigate illness, development concerns, vaccinations, and the countless health decisions that come with raising a child. Choosing poorly means years of second-guessing advice, missed diagnoses, or simply a relationship that does not serve your family well.
Red Flag 1 — Dismissiveness When You Raise Concerns
A paediatrician who consistently dismisses parental concerns — "you're being over-anxious," "all children do that," "just wait and see" without engagement — is not serving their role well. Parents know their children in ways that a doctor seeing them for 15 minutes cannot. Parental instinct is a valuable clinical signal.
A good paediatrician listens to concerns, explains their reasoning clearly, and either addresses the concern or explains specifically why it does not warrant investigation. Dismissal without explanation is not medicine — it is pattern matching.
Red Flag 2 — Discouraging Questions
You should feel comfortable asking your paediatrician anything about your child's health. A doctor who appears annoyed by questions, gives monosyllabic answers, or makes parents feel foolish for asking is creating a dynamic that will, over time, prevent you from raising concerns that matter. Paediatrics particularly requires a communicative physician — young children cannot describe their own symptoms, and accurate diagnosis depends on parental observation and reporting.
Red Flag 3 — Antibiotic Prescription for Viral Illness
Antibiotics have no effect on viral infections (colds, most sore throats, most ear infections in young children, flu). A paediatrician who prescribes antibiotics for a child with a clear viral upper respiratory tract infection, without evidence of a bacterial secondary infection, is either not thinking critically or is managing parental expectation rather than the child's health.
Antibiotic overuse contributes to antimicrobial resistance and disturbs the child's microbiome. It is not a harmless default. A good paediatrician will explain why antibiotics are not indicated, what to watch for if symptoms worsen, and when to return.
Red Flag 4 — Resistance to Second Opinions
Any paediatrician who responds negatively to a parent seeking a second opinion for a complex or serious diagnosis has an ego problem, not a clinical one. Second opinions are good medicine for significant diagnoses. A confident, competent clinician welcomes them. A paediatrician who takes it personally is not centring the child's wellbeing.
Red Flag 5 — Poor Communication After Hours
Children do not get sick only during office hours. Understand the practice's after-hours protocol before you need it: is there a 24-hour nurse line, a specific after-hours number, a locum arrangement, or are you directed to the emergency room for everything? A practice with no after-hours access forces parents to use emergency rooms for non-emergency situations and leaves anxious parents without guidance at 2am.
Red Flag 6 — Outdated Vaccination Guidance
South Africa follows an expanded programme of immunisation schedule that is updated by the Department of Health. A paediatrician who is dismissive of the vaccine schedule, supports vaccine hesitancy, or gives guidance significantly at odds with the current EPI schedule without a specific clinical reason (immunocompromise, allergy) is not following evidence-based practice.
Ask your paediatrician what vaccine schedule they follow and whether they are comfortable with parents who choose not to vaccinate their children. Their answer tells you where they stand on evidence-based practice.
Finding and Evaluating a Paediatrician
Ask your obstetrician, midwife, and trusted parent friends for referrals. Schedule a brief introductory appointment before your child is born or during a well-baby visit — not during an acute illness — to assess the doctor's communication style and approach. Trust your instinct: a parent who leaves every appointment feeling unheard or confused needs a different doctor.