It is important for your children to see a physician regularly to make sure they grow healthy and stay well.
"Many parents only schedule a visit to a pediatrician or family practitioner when their child is ill, injured or needs an immunization," says Karin Z. Fiedler, MD, a pediatrician at Swedish Covenant Hospital. "The fact is, well-child exams are one of the most important steps parents can take for their child's future good health."
Well-child exam visits allow doctors to:
- Come to know your child as an individual. He or she can anticipate and explain how treatments and medicines will affect your child's activities and development.
- Monitor the medicines your child is prescribed. This helps to avoid situations where two medicines will not work well when taken together.
- Know your child's medical history and explain it to any specialists your child may need to see. A common medical history should be kept in one place and reviewed before any treatment is started.
- Save time and effort by telling specialists if medical tests have already been performed.
- Learn your family medical history. This can help the doctor find the best treatment when your child has health problems.
- Keep track of vaccinations, allergies and lab results. He or she can tell specialists what they need to know.
- Monitor your child's growth, development and well-being through regular tests and checkups.
"The well-child visit is an opportunity for the doctor to both examine the child and teach the parents," says Galina Gribovich, MD, a family practice physician at Swedish Covenant Hospital. "The doctor can compare the child's development to previous visits and also with national baselines for child growth and development. The visit is also a chance to talk to parents about safety issues, nutrition and advances in medicine that may benefit the child."
