A family doctor is not only important when your child is sick. Regular well-child checkups are an important way to ensure your child is healthy and developing well both physically and emotionally and to identify problems early on.
Family doctors provide comprehensive health care for people of all ages. They provide a range of services, including diagnosing and treating a broad range of acute illnesses and conditions and the management of chronic diseases. They also specialize in preventive medicine, which is used to maintain health and reduce the likelihood of developing health conditions in the future.
Well-Child Visits
Regular well-child checkups are an important part of preventive medicine for all children, from birth to age 21. These routine visits are recommended even when your child isn’t sick or experiencing any symptoms to ensure that they are healthy and developing and functioning at an optimum level.
A well-child visit offers a number of benefits, including:
- Preventing illness and disease through immunizations and health advice and education.
- Tracking growth and development to ensure children are reaching the appropriate age-related milestones and to identify any concerns.
- A chance to ask questions, seek advice and raise concerns around the child’s health, development, and lifestyle.
- To help build an important, trusting relationship between doctor, parent, and child to best serve every child’s needs.
What Can I Expect At A Well-Child Check-up?
A well-child visit aims to keep track of your child’s overall health and development and to identify potential health issues in the earliest stages when treatment is often most effective. Well-child checkups are typically recommended on a yearly basis, but depending on your child’s needs, they may be required more frequently. The visit involves a comprehensive assessment of your child’s physical, emotional, social, and behavioral health and development.
Physical Examination
During the visit, your doctor will review your child’s personal and family health history and will discuss any problems, such as illnesses, injuries, or significant life events, that may have occurred since their last visit. The doctor will perform a thorough, non-invasive, head-to-toe physical exam to evaluate your child’s health, such as checking:
- Height and weight (and head circumference during infancy)
- Body temperature
- Blood pressure
- Examining different areas of the body for abnormalities, such as the ears, nose, mouth, throat, chest, and abdomen
- Listening to the heart and lungs
- Skin health
- Vision and hearing
- Checking joints and reflexes
- Posture, flexibility, and strength
Depending on your child’s health and family history, your doctor may recommend preventive screenings to identify potential issues early on – when they are most treatable.
If any potential health concerns are identified, your doctor can recommend additional testing and treatment services and ensure that the appropriate action is taken as quickly as possible.
Immunizations
Your pediatrician will ensure your child is up to date with all necessary immunizations to protect them against potentially serious childhood diseases.
Raising Concerns
As well as helping in the prevention and early detection of significant health issues, a well-child visit is the opportunity to ask questions and raise any concerns about your child’s health, development, or wellbeing. You should also share any successes or milestones that your child has had since their last visit.
How Frequently Should My Child Visit A Family Doctor?
It goes without saying that if your child is sick and in need of treatment, you should visit or speak to your doctor to allow them to identify the underlying cause of symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent a condition from getting worse and prevent it from spreading to others.
As well as visiting your doctor when your child is sick, you should also ensure your child is having routine well-child care visits to stay on top of their physical and emotional health care needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends well-child checkups at the following stages:
- Within 3-5 days of birth and a follow-up appointment 2 weeks after
- 1 month
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 12 months
- 18 months
- 2 years
- 2 and a half years
- 3 years
After the age of 3, children should have routine annual checkups until they reach the age of 21.
If you have any concerns about your child’s physical or psychological health and development between scheduled visits, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor for advice.
Finding the Right Family Doctor
Ensuring you find a family doctor who provides high-quality, comprehensive, and convenient health care to cater to all your family’s needs is essential. Concierge medicine is a type of highly personalized, comprehensive, membership-based primary care that can address all your family’s healthcare needs. It offers patients a number of benefits, including 24/7 access to medical care, direct contact with your physician, same-day appointments without time restraints, and many other services.
With concierge care, patients are charged an annual membership fee, which allows the doctor to limit the practice size and have more quality time with every patient. This gives you the peace of mind that your family is receiving dedicated, personalized, and comprehensive care to keep you all in the best health possible.
