When you have a passion for helping and protecting children, you may want to carry this mission over into your professional life. A number of positions exist in the job market that allow you to either work closely with infants or impact their development and overall wellness. These four careers are considered to be among the most important for good infant health and safety.

Obstetrics

Many people would argue that healthy infant development begins with obstetrical care. An expectant mother’s obstetrician plays an important role in ensuring the pregnancy progresses as it should and in detecting any conditions that could jeopardize the unborn baby’s health. Obstetricians are trained to deliver babies, as well as diagnose and treat gestational conditions like diabetes, preeclampsia, chronic nausea, and other illnesses that could harm a baby’s development in the womb.

Sonography

Sonographers are also important to ensuring an infant’s total wellness. Sonographers are entrusted to perform scans of developing babies in the womb. These scans can alert doctors and parents to congenital defects, infant distress, and prenatal death. After a baby is born, sonographers also are important in helping diagnose illnesses and injuries in infants who are admitted to the hospital or brought to their pediatricians for care. Sonographers who graduate from an accredited school with an in-campus or online degree in sonography can look forward to job stability and high earning potential.

Pediatric Medicine

Pediatricians are entrusted with providing the routine care that babies need for good development and health. They typically see infants up to six times or more during the babies’ first year of life. After the first year, babies are typically examined on a bi-annual or annual basis. Pediatricians play a significant role not only in child development, but also on the wellness and stability of the family and community.

Pediatric Nursing

Along with pediatricians, pediatric nurses are also important for healthy baby development. They often give vaccinations, administer medication, monitor vital signs, and carry out other duties that ensure that babies are getting the care they need. Pediatric nurses can also provide at-home care for babies who are medically fragile and dependent on medical equipment like oxygen tanks or IV drips. They help stabilize infants and provide instruction to parents on proper infant medical care.

Babies rely on a number of different professionals to help them make it to adolescence. When you want to play your part in helping babies become healthy children, you may consider joining one of these four important occupations.