An old — and now famous — Nigerian proverb emphasizes the importance of community in child rearing by saying it takes a village to raise a child. This means that the assistance and wisdom of extended family, teachers, neighbors, and other community members is essential in raising a happy, healthy child.

The sentiment from which this proverb is based on can be easily seen in the important role role pediatric doctors play in not only a child’s health, but in their overall lives as well. Parents and pediatricians often work together with babysitters, daycare workers, teachers, and anyone else regularly involved in a child’s life in order to identify potential health issues.

As such, it’s critical for every parent to find information on pediatricians and research facts about pediatricians in their local area in order to find the right match for both their child and parenting style. This will make finding and choosing a pediatrician to be apart of a child’s life that much easier.

As with trying to find any new business or service, finding a pediatrician takes a little bit of research. Some parents may feel more comfortable getting a referral from another parent, teacher, or neighbor, however running an internet search can also be helpful. In fact there are a number of online forums and resources that strive to make the process of finding a pediatrician easier for parents. The majority of these forums offer real, constructive, and honest reviews from other parents in hopes of helping others make their decision.

Also, parents are urged to create, write down, or notate important questions to ask pediatricians in their local area. Asking questions in regards to important pediatric issues such as vaccines, prescription medications and their interactions, and more can be extremely helpful in finding a good match. Many pediatricians welcome these questions and use it as an opportunity to facilitate communication with parents.