Who this service is for
This pediatric consultation with a general practitioner is indicated for children and adolescents with:
- Fever — in children over 3 months, evaluation and guidance on management
- Respiratory infections — cold, flu, pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis, bronchitis
- Urinary tract infection — evaluation and treatment
- Gastroenteritis — diarrhea, vomiting, guidance on hydration and feeding
- Skin rash — evaluation of exanthems, allergies, skin infections
- Conjunctivitis — evaluation and treatment
- Sore throat — evaluation and guidance on tonsillitis
- Persistent cough — evaluation and guidance
- Allergies — allergic rhinitis, mild food allergy, urticaria
- Colic and irritability in infants — guidance and management
- Questions about feeding and introduction of complementary foods — guidance based on SBP recommendations
- Questions about development — developmental milestones, language, motor, social
- Questions about vaccination — vaccination schedule, delayed vaccines, guidance on available vaccines
- Mental health of children and adolescents — anxiety, behavior, school difficulties
- General questions about child health — guidance for parents with questions about their child’s health
- Children from foreign families and expats in Brazil — care in English, Portuguese and Spanish
What is included in the consultation
Complete pediatric assessment by video call
The doctor performs a complete clinical assessment of the child — including detailed medical history with the parents, visual observation of the child during the call, and evaluation of symptoms based on pediatric clinical criteria. For younger children, the consultation is conducted mainly with the parents describing the situation and showing the child on video when clinically relevant.
Safety assessment
Every pediatric consultation includes an assessment of whether the child’s presentation requires urgent in-person care. The doctor clearly and immediately informs you if this is the case — including guidance on where to seek appropriate care.
Electronic prescription — at the doctor’s discretion
Where clinically indicated after a complete assessment, the doctor issues an electronic prescription with an ICP-Brasil digital signature, valid at pharmacies throughout Brazil. Doses are calculated based on the child’s weight and age.
Request for pediatric tests
Where clinically indicated, the doctor requests laboratory tests — blood count, urine, CRP, and others — to be performed at private laboratories.
Guidance for parents
An important part of the pediatric consultation is guiding parents on how to care for the child at home — warning signs that should lead to the emergency department, when to return for reassessment, feeding during illness, fever management, hydration.
Referral to a pediatric specialist — when indicated
When the presentation requires specialized pediatric assessment — complex chronic condition, suspected developmental disorder, condition that does not respond to treatment — the doctor refers with complete clinical documentation.
Fever in children — when it is urgent and when it is not
Fever is the most common pediatric complaint — and the one that causes the most anxiety for parents. Knowing how to distinguish when fever needs urgent care and when it can be managed at home is one of the most valuable pieces of guidance the doctor can provide.
Fever that requires immediate in-person care:
- Fever in a baby under 3 months — any temperature above 37.8°C is a pediatric emergency
- Fever above 39°C in a baby between 3 and 6 months with no apparent cause
- Fever with red spots that do not disappear when pressed — possible meningitis
- Fever with neck stiffness, confusion, or difficulty waking up
- Fever with seizures
- Fever with severe breathing difficulty
Fever that can be evaluated by teleconsultation:
- Fever in a child over 6 months who is active, responding well, with no warning signs
- Fever with clear symptoms of respiratory infection — cough, runny nose, sore throat
- Fever with an apparent cause and expected course
- Recurrent fever with no identified cause — for evaluation and guidance on investigation
When in doubt, the doctor always prefers to advise in-person care rather than underestimate a warning sign. If you are concerned, schedule the teleconsultation and the doctor will assess — and if it is an emergency, will advise immediately.
Childhood vaccination in Brazil
Brazil has one of the most comprehensive public vaccination programs in the world — the National Immunization Program (PNI) offers free vaccines at Basic Health Units (UBS) for all children.
The doctor can provide guidance by teleconsultation on:
- Vaccination schedule — which vaccines are recommended for the child’s age and at what time
- Delayed vaccines — how to organize the schedule to bring vaccinations up to date
- Vaccines available only in the private network — such as varicella (2nd dose), meningococcal ACWY, dengue (Qdenga), HPV for boys outside the SUS age range, and others
- Vaccine reactions — what is normal after vaccination and when to seek care
Vaccine administration requires in-person attendance at the UBS, vaccination clinic, or health center. The doctor provides guidance on the schedule and where to get vaccinated — but cannot administer vaccines remotely.
Pediatric health for foreign families and expats in Brazil
For foreign families living in Brazil with children, pediatric health challenges have specific characteristics:
Different vaccination schedule
The Brazilian vaccination schedule is different from the European, American, or other countries’ schedules. Children who arrive in Brazil with a vaccination schedule from another country need an assessment to identify which doses are delayed according to the Brazilian schedule and which additional vaccines are recommended in Brazil.
Tropical diseases in children
Dengue, yellow fever in children over 6 months who are going to risk areas, and other tropical diseases have specific pediatric considerations — safe insect repellent doses for the child’s age, indicated vaccines, specific warning signs.
Adjustment and child mental health
Children who have moved to Brazil may have adjustment difficulties — especially at school, with the language, and with cultural differences. The doctor can assess and provide guidance on signs of adjustment anxiety in children.
Care in English
For families who prefer to discuss their children’s health in English or Spanish, care is available in both languages.
Common parent questions — what can be assessed by teleconsultation
"My child has had a fever for two days — do I need to go to the emergency department?"
The doctor assesses the symptoms, temperature, the child’s behavior, and warning signs — and advises whether the situation can be managed at home or requires in-person care.
"My baby has colic — what should I do?"
The doctor provides guidance on managing infant colic — positioning techniques, abdominal massage, feeding guidance — and assesses whether there is any underlying cause that requires investigation.
"My child is not speaking at the right age — should I be concerned?"
The doctor assesses language developmental milestones for the child’s age and advises whether the delay is within normal variability or requires referral for specialized assessment — speech therapy, pediatric neurology.
"My child has a food allergy — what should I do?"
The doctor assesses the symptoms, advises on foods to avoid, and refers to a pediatric allergist when indicated for formal investigation.
What this service does not cover
- Fever in a baby under 3 months — pediatric emergency — go to the emergency department immediately
- Pediatric emergencies — breathing difficulty, seizure, loss of consciousness, skin rash with spots that do not disappear when pressed — call SAMU (192) immediately
- Complete pediatric physical examination — certain elements of the pediatric physical examination — heart and lung auscultation, abdominal palpation — require in-person care. The doctor advises when an in-person examination is necessary
- Vaccination — vaccine administration requires in-person attendance at an authorized health unit
- Complex chronic pediatric conditions — require follow-up with a pediatric specialist
