Why Well Child Checks are Important

From infancy through the teen years, well child visits are important to make sure your child is in overall good health. In the first year, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 7 well-child checks; these get less frequent as your child gets older, and for kids 3 years old and up, are just once a year. These visits offer many vital benefits:

• Tracking your child’s growth (weight, height and for infants, head circumference)
• Checking development in terms of language, motor skills, social development, and in older kids, pubertal changes. School progress is also covered. Identifying delays means earlier helpful intervention.
• Talking about nutrition, sleep, stooling, and urination
• Discussing mental and emotional health
• Supporting you as you navigate raising your child. Your provider will provide ‘anticipatory guidance’ about upcoming stages and issues such as discipline, behavior, etc.
• Reviewing and discussing in detail any vaccines needed to protect your child
• Providing information on important safety issues relevant for your child’s age
• Completing sports PE paperwork if needed for your child to participate
• Following up on any chronic health issues
• Giving your teen some confidential one-on-one time with the provider, helping them form a trusting relationship. This can empower your child to share concerns with the provider as they get older.

You know your child best and are a vital part of the ‘pediatric team’- you, your child, and your provider. Well child visits are your opportunity to share any concerns you might have. Referrals to specialists can be made if further investigation or therapy is indicated. If your child has special needs and sees specialists frequently, well child checks are still important to look at their health holistically.

Even if your child is young, you can help make the visits go smoothly. Talk to them about who they will see at the visit, including the medical assistant/nurse and provider. Explain that they will have their growth and blood pressure checked with a snug cuff on their arm. They may be asked to change into a medical gown and sit on the exam table. The provider will then do the physical exam, explaining what they are doing as they proceed. You can pretend ‘going to the doctor’ at home beforehand, especially made fun and easy if your child has a toy doctor kit.

As a parent, you can prepare for the well child visit by having a list of any health concerns or questions ready. Make sure any relevant paperwork (for example, school evaluations) have been sent to the office or bring them with you. The American Academy of Pediatrics website has a Well Visit planner to help make the most of these important check-ups (see below).

Resource:  www.wellvisitplanner.org