And the phenomenon is finally getting the respect it deserves from the medical establishment. In the past, maternal worries often were dismissed too easily. But now doctors are realizing how important a mother's knowledge can be when her children are ill. During his five decades of working as a pediatrician, T. Berry Brazelton says he has learned to respect mothers and pay attention to their concerns. He says mothers often can provide clues that can lead doctors on the path to a correct diagnosis.
Mothers have very fine-tuned observation skills when it comes to their children.
Especially when the presenting symptoms are so subtle that they might not be caught during a routine exam. While physicians evaluate a child using physical exams and testing, mothers rely on their knowledge of a child's behavior to alert them when something is wrong. Unusual listlessness or lack of energy. Loss of appetite. Confusion or dazed state of mind.