Babies and children are continuously growing and developing, making it extremely important that they are followed by a paediatrician who is specifically trained at detecting and treating health issues that typically occur during childhood and adolescence.

Is your little one in need of paediatric attention? Discover all the specialists that can help you on Yellow.

What is the role of a paediatrician?

Paediatricians are fully qualified doctors that go on to acquire a specialisation in child-related medical issues, following the completion of their medical training. This equips them with specialised knowledge to provide optimal guidance and treatment for growing little ones. Indeed, a paediatrician is an important presence in a child's growth journey since this ensures that there is adequate monitoring of major developmental milestones such as crawling, walking, talking and important skills such as problem-solving and social interaction.

For instance, the first twelve months of an infant's life are particularly significant since there is a drastic change from a newborn to an active baby. As they continue to grow, your kids will continue to go through countless of changes, reach many milestones and experience normal childhood illnesses (such as recurring colds, measles, chickenpox, croup and viruses) and a paediatrician will provide appropriate advice and treatment. Furthermore, regular visits and check-ups will ensure that growth, nutrition, overall fitness and behaviour are within the recommended averages for a particular age group. Vaccines and any necessary boosters can also be managed and administered by your child's paediatrician.

Nonetheless, one should also note that a family doctor is able to give guidance and treat your child when required. This provides parents with the peace of mind that a healthcare professional is always available when necessary.

Parents may be faced with instances where emergency treatment is required. This could include a range of situations that may involve fever, unconsciousness, respiratory problems (related to asthma, colds or seasonal allergies for instance), an accident or sudden injury. All these instances would obviously require immediate medical attention by an emergency service team but your paediatrician may be able to provide information about the child's medical history if required. Don't forget to check out our top childproofing tips, if you are seeking to minimise as much as possible accidents around the house.

Paediatrician Services in Malta

Parents who are raising their families in Malta and Gozo can rest assured that they have access to excellent paediatric care for their little ones. There are dedicated public paediatric services that include a dedicated children's outpatients, a paediatric daycare facility that is utilised for minor interventions and surgeries that do not require overnight hospitalisation. This is coupled with specialised children and teenage wards.

Private paediatric services are also widely available across the Maltese islands. Indeed, there is a large number of highly qualified paediatric doctors with consolidated experience in the area of child-related healthcare. A large number of these have dedicated clinics that operate on several days of the week. Apart from this, many paediatric doctors provide their services from private clinics in different localities. It is therefore very easy for parents to choose a paediatrician that is able to follow their child's medical development, particularly during the first year. Indeed, newborns may require at least six scheduled check-ups to map progress and development apart from any unscheduled visits that may be required to cover unexpected bouts of sickness.

Are there different types of paediatricians?

While the paediatric doctor of your confidence can follow your child from birth to adolescence, it may be the case that even more specialist attention is required for specific medical concerns. For this reason, there are paediatric professionals that focus on very distinct areas in children's medical care.

For instance, paediatric dentists are specialised in the provision of all dental care requirements for your kid and can cover anything from preventive services to tooth decay and corrective measures such as braces. There are doctors who specialise in paediatric respiratory medicine which is particularly important for children who are affected by respiratory disorders or by conditions like asthma or allergies. Other important paediatric subspecialties include paediatric oncology, adolescent medicine, paediatric critical care and surgery.