Commentary: Take it from a doctor. Don't delay health care for children out of fear of coronavirus exposure.

As a pediatric medical professional, I have had a firsthand glimpse at how the coronavirus pandemic has affected our field and the children and families we serve. Much of what I have seen has been heroic, encouraging and inspiring: clinical professionals lifting each other up, community members coming together to help their neighbors get food or their local hospitals secure essential supplies, and families from the smallest child to grandparents and great-grandparents doing their part to adjust to a new way of living and flatten the curve.

However, one product of the pandemic has me — and many of my colleagues at Rady Children's and across the pediatric industry nationally — extremely concerned. It is becoming common that out of fear of exposure, care is being delayed for children, even in the case of emergent needs.

First and foremost, I would like to stress that I recognize these intentions are good. Families and communities want to protect children, and they are striving to comply with guidelines to stay at home and limit close interactions with others. I fully understand why caregivers may think, "The doctor's office? The emergency room? That's one of the worst places I could take my child in a time like this."

However, a child's illness or injury could potentially cause serious complications because of delayed care, presenting a far greater risk than the chance of contracting the coronavirus in a health care facility. Even in the case of routine appointments, holding back on specialist visits to manage chronic conditions, or putting off vaccines, could lead to problems for months and years to come.

Now more than ever, maintaining regular appointments and seeking care for your child when it is needed is extremely important, especially for children with chronic conditions. Within the field of pediatrics, there have recently been countless stories about straightforward health issues that could have been resolved with an urgent care visit turning into an intensive care unit stay, or missed treatment appointments leading to hospitalizations and setbacks in progress.

As an emergency physician and parent myself, I want to reassure families and caregivers who may be feeling worried or confused about whether taking your child to the doctor is the right thing to do. It is, and it is very safe for your children and for you.

More on what to know about children during the pandemic:

In fact, because safety guidelines and procedures have evolved with recommendations from entities such as local and state governments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, clinics and hospitals are probably one of the least risky places in our communities.

At Rady Children's Hospital, for example, we are screening everyone before they come through our doors for fever, COVID-19 symptoms and known risk factors. We are also restricting visitors in inpatient and outpatient areas; requiring face coverings for all employees and physicians in every area of our main campus and satellite facilities; and continuing exhaustive cleaning, staff hygiene and personal protective equipment protocols.

We also have testing for the coronavirus available to our employees and physicians as indicated per national best practices, and we have extensive stay-at-home regulations in place if any team member has been potentially exposed or has traveled to a high-risk destination.

Additionally, for families who wish to stay home, telemedicine appointments for as many clinical areas as possible are now available — this even includes urgent care. We are conducting several hundred of these visits every day. While an in-person visit may still be necessary and the best approach in certain cases, we are striving to make all forms of care accessible in a manner that makes our patient families feel comfortable, connected and secure.

I know these circumstances we are in are unprecedented, and it is challenging to know how our lives will change in the future. All of us are doing our best to adapt and to protect ourselves, our family members and friends, and our community.

Please know that at health care facilities like Rady Children's, the safety of our patients, their loved ones and our team is, and always has been, absolutely paramount. If you think your child may need to see a doctor, do not hesitate for them to do so.

If you are unsure or still have concerns, I encourage you to visit our COVID-19 updates page at . We have also initiated a COVID-19 Pediatric Nurse Advice Line, where experts are available from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily at (858) 966-8399. We are open, we are safe and we are here for all kids when they need us.

Carstairs is the chief of emergency medicine and chief population health officer at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and lives in North County.

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