Does your child cry at the pediatrician's office? 2026

I don't discover any secrets: children cry at the doctor's office. Especially between 8 and 18 months, they cry to the pediatrician, they cry to the hairdresser, they even cry to the grandparents they haven't seen in a long time, to the neighbor with a mustache and to any stranger who tries to approach them.

We think that they react this way because they are strange, because they are afraid of the pediatrician's beard or the white coats and the stretchers, but it is common for that baby who at the four-month check-up laughed and seemed happy, from eight months onwards fears any intervention. From changing his diaper to cutting his nails, not to mention giving him vaccinations or listening to him to see where those coughs come from.

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Of course, this is not an immutable rule, some cry and others don't, and some even deprive themselves as if there were no tomorrow. They also don't cry every day. I have observed that crying depends on many factors, not just the age of the child. It depends on the days. Some days I leave the consultation very happy because no one cried and other days I return home sad because even the cleaning lady cried. It also depends on the parents, of course, but we will talk about that at the end.

You may wonder why I bring this topic here, when it is something that has always been like this and has no signs of changing. The child will cry, and the parents, some will feel the hot flashes and others will consider that it is normal for him to cry. Even the pediatrician will see it as normal. Or not?

Well no. For me it is a challenge that children do not cry. I have not pricked them or prescribed injections for 20 years – except for vaccines, and I do not give them, nor am I in front of them when the nurse gives them. I approach them with respect so that they do not see me as an aggressor ogre. I like getting along with them, I love seeing them smile. I am not a clown pediatrician, there are some and they are admirable, but I do talk a lot with them even though they are only a few months old. Telling them things in a slow and calm voice usually calms them and gives them confidence.

Can parents do something to prevent their little one from crying? How should you act so that he doesn't have a bad time or you don't have to drag him into the consultation? Transmitting confidence, showing him with your attitude, not with your words, that the doctor is a friend of the parents, who can relax.

And you, father, what are you doing?

First of all, we have to ask ourselves if we trust that pediatrician, not only as a professional, but also as a person who is skilled with children. If we think "let's see if he's going to be a big handler and drop the baby" or "it might hurt him," the best thing is to turn around and ask for a change of doctor, because that is a danger.

If we ask ourselves if we trust him or her, and the answer is yes, it will not be necessary to do anything else. Let your son know how to act. Trust. Many parents say: "Yes, I trust!" Yes, yes, but you don't let go of the child, you don't separate yourself from him even an centimeter, and the poor doctor has to overcome obstacles to be able to get close to listen to him or look at his ears. The father plays Peppa Pig on his cell phone or sings to him or jingles the keys, gives him endless hugs and makes super protective gestures that show that he doesn't trust the doctor one bit.

If we really trust, could we stay sitting in the chair or take two steps back and leave the professional alone on the stretcher so that he can examine the child calmly? If the little one sees his parents calm, he has no need to cry. Now, if he sees us older people overwhelmed, he detects the tension and we all end up crying.