Well child physicals play an important role in children’s health and wellbeing. Scheduling regular pediatric visits enable the doctor to monitor your child’s growth and development and ensure your child is up to date with vaccinations. The frequency with which well child physicals are needed varies by age. The experienced and friendly pediatricians at Pediatric Care North in Kansas City, MO, can advise you as to how often to schedule a visit for your child.
Well Child Visits
The purpose of well child visits or physicals is to promote better overall health for your child. There are several aspects to a well child visit, including information gathering for personal and family medical histories, and a physical exam. All of these things help the pediatrician better monitor your child’s growth and development. Well child physicals also enable the doctor to identify health, growth, or development concerns and treat potential problems right away before they become more serious.
Several topics are usually discussed with parents during a well child physical, including nutrition, dietary guidelines, vaccine recommendations, physical and growth development, developmental skills, social skills, and emotional well-being. The specific topics that are addressed vary based on the age of the child. For example, toilet training is discussed during the toddler years, while school and peer interactions are talked about when kids are in upper-grade school.
Younger children can benefit from scheduling a well visit every few weeks or months, depending on their age. Kids two years of age or older only need to schedule one well child physical per year. The skilled pediatricians at our office in Kansas City, MO, can develop a schedule for how often your child should come in for a checkup.
Immunizations
An important component of well child visits is immunization. The purpose of immunization is to help kids develop immunity to certain illnesses and diseases, such as measles or the flu. The way children build immunity is through vaccination. Many vaccines are administered by injection, while a few are taken orally.
The experienced pediatricians at our office recommend children receive all vaccines at the age-appropriate visit according to the immunization schedule developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Kids who are behind on their vaccinations can be placed on a catch-up schedule.
Well child physicals help your child enjoy better health by enabling the doctor to monitor growth and development, as well as help your child stay up to date with vaccinations. To schedule your child’s next well visit with one of our caring pediatricians, call Pediatric Care North in Kansas City, MO, at (816) 587-3200.