Tools That Pediatricians Use

Health care for children has been honed so much over the last century that it has become an art in itself. Medical specialists who deal primarily with children are called pediatricians. Children brought in for yearly or monthly appointments are examined with some basic diagnostic equipment to make sure they are healthy and growing properly.

Scale

• Maintaining a healthy weight is important for pediatric health.

  Pediatricians weigh a children at every appointment to ensure the child's weight is proportionate to her height and age.

Stethoscope

• Stethocopes can give clues to how your body is working inside.

  Stethoscopes allow pediatricians to listen to the body's inner workings. The lungs, heart and stomach can all be checked for problems by listening with a stethoscope.

Otoscope

• Otoscopes give a view of the inner ear.

  An otoscope is a lighted, funneled magnifying glass that allows a pediatrician to see the insides of a child's ears. This tool helps check for ear infections.

Tongue Depressors

• Although simple, tongue depressors are an important tool of the pediatrician's trade. These flat, wooden sticks keep a patient's tongue out of the way, allowing the doctor to check the tonsils and throat for inflammation.

Thermometer

• Thermometers reveal the body's temperature.

  Thermometers are used to check that a child's body temperature is normal. If a child has a fever, a good thermometer can determine the exact temperature and the related risks.