Assessing the Child's Progress with the Parents
Video Summary
Dr. Forletti discusses the importance of considering a referral for further evaluation when parents express concerns about their child's development, even if pediatricians do not observe clear evidence of a delay in a single well child visit. He encourages pediatricians to keep a low threshold for referral and resist the temptation to delay because they fear upsetting parents. On the contrary, parents expressing concerns to their pediatricians are parents who already hold some fears, which are often best addressed through a more comprehensive evaluation.
"I guess the most important thing from my point of view as a pediatrician, and something I try to instill in the parents, very early on, is they know their child better than anyone else."
— Damian Forletti, MD