It’s bad enough when you as an adult aren’t feeling good but when a child is sick, there’s a whole different dimension of stress, tension and concern. Naturally, your first thought is to go to the doctor. But what do you do when your child is sick in the middle of the night and your doctor’s office is not open? A visit to the emergency room at your local hospital can last for hours, and your child needs help right away. The answer? Fortunately, 24 hour pediatric urgent care is now available in some areas. And even if the center near you is not a 24 hour pediatric urgent care, here are three good reasons to go to an urgent care center that features pediatric treatments.
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Nothing Common about the Common Cold
Children are particularly susceptible to germs in their surrounding environment. In fact, the average child suffers from between 6 and 10 colds per year. Probably the worst and most common affliction is the ear infection; before they turn the age of three, over 40% of children will have already had three ear infections. And five out of six children will have had at least one ear infection by that same age. A 24 hour pediatric urgent care center will be familiar with childhood illnesses and offer emergency services that are good for sick kids.

Shorter Wait Times
In approximately 65% of all urgent care centers, you will always find a physician working on-site. In terms of wait time, which can be agonizing with a sick child, you will be seen by a physician (or a mid-level provider) in 15 minutes or less in approximately 60% of all urgent care centers. They say that time is money, but in this case time is precious when a child is sick, and a shorter wait time is priceless.

Wide Range of Available Pediatric Treatments
Allergies are a main cause of children visiting urgent care centers. Pediatric allergies, in particular, can be of extreme concern. The statistics support that, according to results from a 2014 National Health Institute survey for US children, that 11.6% suffer from skin allergies, 10% from respiratory allergies, instance 8.4% from hay fever and 5.4% from food allergies

To sum up, 24 hour pediatric urgent care centers provide a positive alternative to traditional hospital Emergency Room visits, taking less time and costing less money. Most of us would rather not think about sick children or the need for pediatric urgent care centers, but when the unexpected happens it’s a great relief to be able to say: “I know there is an urgent care nearby.”