Four Tips For Avoiding Germs In The Pediatrician's Waiting Room
Posted on: 4 March 2016
If your child is sick or just going in for a yearly check up, it is important that you and your child are ready for the doctor's office waiting room. Understanding that other children might be sick as well and quickly spread common colds and flu is half the battle. If you feel like your child is prone to illness or already has a compromised immune system, any safeguards you can follow can help. Here are four tips to try to avoid germs in the waiting room setting.
1. Schedule Checkups During Spring or Summer
It is a good idea to shift your child's yearly checkup to the spring or summer months. Less people tend to schedule yearly visits during vacation months and the waiting room will have less traffic. This will also avoid cold and flu season, when waiting rooms might be filled with children coughing and dealing with runny noses.
2. Bring Along Your Toys and Books
While the toys, books, and magazines in a children's doctor's office might be enticing, it is a good idea to keep your children away from communal items that could have germs. If your little one just can't resist, be sure to bring along sanitizing gel or wipes for a quick hand clean when your child is done.
3. Arrive on Time
There is no reason to get to a child's appointment early and this can just make your child more nervous or cranky especially if they are sick. The less time you are in the waiting area of the doctor's office, the less interaction your child will come into contact with sick kids or items in the waiting room.
4. Ask if You can Wait in an Exam Room
If your child is already sick with the flu or other contagious disease, it might be polite to ask if you can wait in an exam room instead of the general waiting area. This can be a good idea for your child as well. If they are already battling an illness, you don't want them to catch anything else while their immune system is weakened.
While it is a good idea to be conscientious about germs in the waiting room of your child's doctor or pediatrician, it is also good idea not to go overboard. Many children might be perfectly healthy and are just in for checkups. The hope is that the doctor's office has a policy set up for seeing sick children immediately or keeping them out of the general areas. For more ideas, talk to a clinic like Pediatric And Young Adult Medicine.
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