Joana Oliveira , Daniela Silva , Zulmira Abdula and Paulo Roque do Vale (in the photo above) form the present pediatricians’ team of Hospital da Luz Clínica de Vila Franca de Xira, this new generation health center operating since April in the heart of the city. These specialists ensure the consultations – planned or on the same day, if necessary and in more urgent situations – and video consultations. “We are a committed group, united by the mission of caring, protecting, and following the little ones in the most important moments of their lives. From the first cry to the very first achievements, we are here, hand in hand with families, to ensure a solid health and a bright future”, asserts the team. The follow-up by a pediatrician is fundamental for the healthy growth and welfare of children and youths up to 17 (including). Usually, visits to the pediatrician are more frequent in the first years of life, but even with older children and youths a regular medical follow-up is important beyond situations of disease. This follow-up serves to: Give advice on healthy life and disease prevention. Give advice and guidance on vaccination. Check for healthy development and growth within the adequate standards. Ensure psychological and emotional welfare and adequate integration in school and social life. Conduct adequate regular health exams. Identify situations that might require intervention in other clinical areas. And since follow-up should begin before birth, the team also ensures a Prenatal Pediatric Consultation, that must be done during pregnancy. This consultation is an opportunity to clear any doubts, prepare the baby’s arrival, anticipate the necessary care in the first weeks after birth, and choose the specialist who will follow the child throughout life. “Prepare birth in the perspective of the baby; help preventing the incidence of allergic, infectious and metabolic disease (provided that the pediatrician learns beforehand the history of diseases of the parents); increase the confidence of parents in baby first care, significantly diminishing the most common problems in this stage, such as colic and jaundice”, are the goals of the Prenatal Pediatric Consultation , as explained by this Hospital da Luz team. The scheduling of appointments can be made via MY LUZ app or MY LUZ web version .
