The Pediatrician

Just like a lot of things in life we try to find good professionals to help us resolve issues, provide guidance, and steer us in the right direction.  Prior to Zach being born we did some research to find a good pediatrician and we thought we had located a good one. If Zach was of typical development we probably would still be with the same pediatrician, but not all pediatricians are created equal.  Yes, all pediatricians are required to have the same amount of training and medical school prior to being licensed, but some pediatricians specialize in certain areas of medicine besides general practice. 

During some of Zach’s development questions and issues we sought some guidance from our pediatrician.  At Zach’s 2 year check-up we were concerned about his speech development and we were told that his speech was not unlike any other 2 year-old boy that comes into the office for a visit.  When Zach turned 6 or 7 years-old we were concerned with some of his behavioral issues, including, hyperactivity and temperament.  Our pediatrician suggested that we put our son on Risperdal, an anti-psychotic medication that was tested and shown to help behaviors in children with autism.  The results from the research regarding the medication were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

The one side effect we were concerned with was weight gain.  Zach’s appetite increased tremendously and within 3 months he gained approximately 15 to 20 pounds.  The pediatrician then decided to switch Zach to Abilify.  Abilify was another anti-psychotic medication known to help behaviors in children with autism.  We were not very confident that the new medication would help and so we sought the help of a behavior therapist to help us and the assistance we received had a greater impact on Zach then any medication.  Since the behavior therapy was having a great impact and the Abilify did nothing other than continue Zach’s weight gain, we decided to wean Zach off all medications entirely as it was more of a detriment to his health.  Frankly, Zach’s personality was not the same while on the medication and we just wanted our boy back. 

Within a month of weaning him off the medication Zach’s weight was back to normal, and working with the behavior therapist helped greatly with redirecting his temperament and negative behaviors.  We then started looking for a new pediatrician, who had greater experience with providing care to children with developmental issues, and we found one right around the corner. 

Stay tuned for “The Pediatrician Part 2”