How tough can it be for new parents to find a doctor for their child? Not much, right? After all, there are plenty of qualified pediatricians out there. But at times, the sheer availability of choices can make it difficult to select a good doctor. On other occasions, you may not know how to make the right choice for your child. So what’s a new parent to do?

Here are five tips to help you choose the right pediatrician.

• Ask your friends, neighbors and other family members for referrals. Recommendations from a trusted source are one of the best ways to find a doctor for your child. You can also ask your primary care provider or ob-gyn to recommend a few names of good pediatricians in town.
• Research additional information about the referrals. Don’t just take anyone else’s word about a doctor. Check educational background, experience, and certifications for each name on your list. Also, find out which of these pediatricians work with your health insurance provider.
• Make a list of your top three choices. Schedule an appointment with each of these pediatricians to assess your comfort level with them. You don’t want to wait until you need to see your pediatrician after your baby is born and have a bad experience. Gauge your comfort level with each of the doctors on your list and ask them questions you have in mind about their practice.
• Observe the staff behavior, cleanliness in the clinic and overall vibe of a pediatrician’s practice. Do you like what you see? Along with your comfort level with the doctor, it is also important that you feel at ease with the staff also. After all, they are the ones who will handle your telephone inquiries; schedule your appointment and process payments. So, find a doctor who passes your selection criteria with good grades.
• Do a final check and look for any malpractice suits associated with your top choice. Look for irregularities in their practice as gleaned from online reviews.

With some careful considerations, you can easily find a doctor who will provide the best medical care to your child.