ROUTINE WELL VISITS
At Carolina Pediatrics of the Triad, well child checks, (“check-ups” or “physicals”) are offered regularly from birth through young adulthood, according to the schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Well check visits are the best way to monitor your child’s health and the progress of their development.
We look forward the most to seeing your child for a well check visit. Not only is it a great time to talk about any concerns you may have, it also allows us the chance to get to know your child more thoroughly.
What to expect at your child’s well check visit:
We will review your child’s medical history, address other issues specific for your child, perform a comprehensive examination, and provide anticipatory guidance regarding safety, injury prevention, nutrition, behavior, sleep, digestion and development at the visit. We will also ask about family medical history to determine if any hereditary medical concerns are present. Additional screenings will also be obtained at certain visits and include blood pressure, vision and hearing screens, developmental screenings, mental health screenings and lab tests (CBC, lead, cholesterol, glucose, urinalysis).
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s health, these well check visits are the best time to address them. We also encourage you to bring whatever forms you may need for daycare/school/sports participation.
IMPORTANT TOPICS DISCUSSED DURING YOUR CHILD’S ROUTINE WELL VISIT
One of the most important parts of a well child checkup is preventive health care. Even if your child is healthy, these routine well check visits are still important for discussing your child’s health with your pediatrician. Communication is always key.
Your pediatrician will also provide information regarding development, nutrition, safety, sleep, and other important topics that you will need to know as your child matures.
During this visit, you should expect your pediatrician to identify whether your child is meeting normal developmental milestones. Your child’s growth parameters (height, weight, head circumference, and BMI) will also be recorded on a growth chart, which is kept with your child’s medical records. Your doctor may also talk to you about other issues such as family relationships, school, and proper access to community services.
There are seven key things that annual well check visits can do for your child.
1. Track growth and development
One of the most important things we do at annual well check visits is track your child’s growth. We also want to make sure your child’s development stays on track. We’ll check height, weight, hearing, and vision as well as other important markers.
If growth and development are irregular, it may indicate a potential problem. Detecting these early on means your child has the best chance of treatment.
2. Keep immunizations up to date
We follow the recommended child and adolescent immunization schedule approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics for ages Birth to 18 years. This schedule gives children the best protection from diseases. During this time, you schedule well-child visits every few months. From ages 4-6 years, many children still need essential vaccine boosters, but the pattern of well-child visits slows to just once per year.
If you skip your child’s annual well-child visit, they may be missing out on important immunizations. Other vaccinations, like for the flu or COVID-19, need to be administered yearly.
As your child reaches adolescence, additional important vaccines, like boosters for tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (TDAP); the meningococcus vaccine; and the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine should be administered to protect them from serious diseases.
3. Help you with sleep and safety
Annual well check visits are a time to talk about your child’s sleep habits. Children from ages 3-5 need 10-13 hours a night and ages 6-13 need 9-11 hours. If your child is falling short, we can offer strategies to help them sleep better.
Being safe includes making sure they are using car seats, seat belts, helmets, and appropriate sports gear. These small measures help your child avoid preventable injuries.
4. Help with nutrition and weight
In the last 30 years, the number of children with obesity has tripled. One out of every three children is overweight or obese. We offer recommendations for proper nutrition and how to keep your child from gaining excess weight, even if you have a busy schedule.
Being overweight or obese can have a very real effect on your child’s overall health and put them at risk of developing chronic problems like diabetes and high blood pressure.
5. Catch conditions early
Health problems and developmental conditions may not be apparent during your child’s development. Visits allow pediatricians to assess and analyze development comprehensively. The sooner medical conditions are found during your child’s development, the greater chance there is to properly diagnose, treat and even prevent certain conditions.
6. Prepare your child for school
There’s a reason well checks are often timed with the start of school as they can help assure you that your child is ready for school. You can be prepared if they need corrective eyewear or have a learning challenge that may require specific interventions from your child’s school. Annual well checks also assess your child’s readiness for certain sports.
7. Evaluate social and emotional needs
Annual well check visits don’t just examine your child’s physical health. We also consider their mental well-being. We can ask questions to make sure that issues like peer pressure, bullying, social media, eating disorders, and substance use are addressed.
SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT FOR A ROUTINE WELL VISIT
Call our office at 336-574-4280 or CLICK HERE to request an appointment for a routine well visit. Please contact our office 1-3 months/ 6-8 weeks in advance to schedule your child’s routine well check . If you are unsure of when the next well check for your child is due, please call our office and we will be happy to assist you.
We recommend parents schedule their child’s next well check appointment before they leave the office.
If you are unable to keep a scheduled appointment, please call our office as soon as possible to cancel so we may use the time to treat other patients. If you do not cancel and do not keep an existing appointment three times, you will be asked to find another pediatric practice. If you are late for a scheduled well check visit appointment, you may be asked to reschedule.
There are many pediatric organizations whose goal is to provide guidance and educational resources to parents
and pediatricians. For more information about these organizations, feel free to visit their sites. They are filled with
resources about well child schedules, immunization schedules, childhood development, and more.
OUTSIDE RESOURCES
American Academy of Pediatrics (Healthy Children Organization for parents)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Immunization Schedule and Child Development)
U.S. National Library of Medicine (Well Child Visit Recommended Schedule)
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