{"id":10930,"date":"2021-03-02T18:07:14","date_gmt":"2021-03-02T18:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/?p=10930"},"modified":"2021-03-05T16:03:26","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T16:03:26","slug":"when-your-child-outgrows-their-pediatrician","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/2021\/03\/02\/when-your-child-outgrows-their-pediatrician\/","title":{"rendered":"When Your Child Outgrows Their Pediatrician"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For nearly two decades, you may have been taking your child to the same pediatrician\u2019s office. You\u2019ve built relationships with the staff. You know them and they know you. There is a level of trust and comfort.<\/p>\n

But what do you do when your child is no longer a child? Although the timing depends on each child\u2019s specific health care needs, most young people make the transition from pediatric care to the adult model of care around age 18. At that age, the young adult has a legal right to privacy and confidentiality and begins to take more responsibility for their own health.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone needs a primary care<\/a> provider, regardless of their age, so it is important to ensure that there is continuity in your child\u2019s care, even when they age out of their pediatric practice,\u201d says Bennett Shenker, MD<\/a>, Cooper\u2019s Chief and Chair of Family and Community Medicine. \u201cYoung adults have important ongoing preventive needs, including routine vaccinations and screening tests, regular blood pressure checks, and ongoing discussions about a healthy lifestyle, including weight management, physical activity, nutrition, and avoidance of harmful habits, such as smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Health habits formed in the young adult years can affect the future risk of chronic diseases. For this reason, it is important to help your child to transition to a primary care provider who sees adult patients. \u201cThis is especially important for young people who have chronic health conditions or special medical needs,\u201d says April Douglass-Bright, MD<\/a>, Division Head of General Pediatrics at the Children\u2019s Regional Hospital at Cooper.<\/p>\n

Dr. Bright adds that families do not have to make this transition alone or all at once. \u201cTo aid with the transition process, over time, your child\u2019s pediatrician will introduce elements of the adult model of care. For example, as your child becomes a teenager, your pediatrician will spend more time alone with the teen to help them to assume responsibility for their own health and to allow the teen an opportunity to discuss confidential issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the time comes, you should speak to your child\u2019s pediatrician about recommending an adult primary care provider. The pediatrician will be able to suggest an adult provider who can best meet your child\u2019s specific needs. Your child\u2019s pediatrician will also be able to share important health information and aid in the transfer of medical records to the new provider. Children who are patients of a Family Medicine practice may remain under their care as adults if they wish.<\/p>\n

Encourage your young adult to schedule an initial appointment with a new provider. Discuss the visit with them, and ask questions:<\/p>\n