How to Choose (or Change) Your Child's GI Doctor

Choosing a doctor is difficult.  Choosing a doctor to monitor the hole in your child's stomach, the only way to guarantee he is getting sustenance, seems downright impossible.  We struggled with this very situation for months with our son, James, and have seen other parents go through the same ordeal.  So, why not tell you what we have found in our quest for the perfect gastroenterology doctor?

Qualities to look for in a GI doctor:

1. Willing to listen to you, the parent.

Mother knows best, right?  Unfortunately, many doctors are not willing to listen when a parent says that something is wrong.  We have experienced this firsthand too many times and this criteria is an absolute must if we are going to stay with a practice.  A good doctor will listen to what you have to say, considering you are the primary caregiver for your child, give you his two cents and develop a plan of action based on both your opinions.  The doctor should ask you if you are comfortable with this plan of action for your child and be willing to work with you if you feel the plan needs tweaking.

2. Treats your child with the respect he deserves.

When a doctor takes the time to talk to and play with my one-year-old I know that he just may have my son's best interests at heart.  We have nurses and doctors at our practice who treat my son like a rockstar and it is extremely comforting.  When a doctor doesn't acknowledge my son's presence I don't feel comfortable with the doctor's level of commitment to my child's care.  Your child is a person and deserves that respect.  However, you do have to give some doctors a little leeway on this one.  Everyone has bad days and different social skills so don't use this as a deal breaker on the first visit unless it is a major issue. 

3. Willing to think outside the box.

Again, this is a major complaint from most parents: "GI views my son/daughter as just another case and here is the remedy to treat it."  Each child is different and there will almost inevitably come a time when the normal route will not be the right solution for your child.  A GI doc who is willing to do what it takes to actually CURE the problem instead of keeping it at bay is certainly a keeper.  

4. Accessible.

This is not so big for some people, but I find it crucial.  Accessibility includes:

- short wait times at the office, especially considering you need appointments to work with your feeding routine

- access to the doctor, not just the nursing staff, via email and/or phone

- quick appointments in "emergency" situations

 and 

- "on-call" service.  

Our doctors, for example, are great at communicating directly with us via phone and email (I can actually call and get the doctor on the other line!).  They are also great at quickly working us into the schedule should something crazy, like a balloon malfunction, happen and we need to see them asap.  This also includes criteria number one ("willing to listen to you, the parent"), especially when you need to talk to the on-call doctor at one in the morning because your son is vomiting stomach acid, for instance. 

5. Encourages Oral Development.

A good GI doctor wants to be out of business.  He should encourage, even push oral stimulation and feeding as long as it is safe for your child.  

6.  Advocates for your Child.

Most likely, at some point, you will hit a wall with some insurance or government service and will need help from a doctor to get your child the support she needs.  Your doctor's help (advice, phone calls, letters) will make all the difference for you to overcome these complications.  In order for this criteria to be fulfilled, your doctor must have criteria two ("treats your child with the respect he deserves") and four ("accessible").

7. Does NOT Believe Formula is the Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread.

Ok, that is kind of a joke, but really important.  Formula could be the right thing for your child, but many times it isn't.  Unfortunately, most GI doctors seem to think it is the only option.  It is easy for them to quantify the calories and nutrients your child receives with formula.  You need to find a doctor who is willing to try a blended diet should your child be unable to tolerate formulas or should you, as the parent, want to give your child real food.  

We have found these seven points extremely helpful in choosing our GI doctor and nutritionist.  We also think that our doctor should not use "trial and error" as a way to fix the problem, but sometimes that is unavoidable so I did not list it in the actual criteria.

*Don't forget that you are the parent and you can and should change doctors if you are not happy.*

How have you chosen your GI doctor?  What criteria do you have for your child's doctor?