Pediatric Check-Ups
Between learning, playing and growing, children have busy schedules! As parents, you always have to make time for the important things like spending quality time with your kids and, of course, attending regular pediatric check-ups. Pediatric check-ups are important to monitor your child’s grow and ensure they are hitting developmental milestones.
How Often Should My Child Have Pediatric Check-ups?
Pediatric check-ups start as early as three to five days old. From there, your baby should visit a pediatrician at one, two, four, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen, twenty-four, and thirty months. Once your child is thirty months, or two-and-a-half, parents can reduce the frequency of appointments. Children aged three years old until twenty-one years old should have a pediatric check-up once a year.
What Happens at Regular Pediatric Check-ups?
When you and your child visit the pediatrician, the doctor will do things like measure your child’s height and weight, discuss immunizations that will prevent illness, and provide parents with a platform to ask questions about their children’s physical and mental health.
Why Are Pediatric Check-ups Important?
In most instances, pediatric check-ups are simply preventative visits that are held for the purpose of ensuring your child stays healthy as they grow. So, parents should take their children to pediatric check-ups to get confirmation that they’re meeting their milestones and don’t have any medical issues to address further. Pediatric check-ups are necessary even if the child is not sick, as it’s a check-in to ensure the child is healthy and growing as he or she should.
Questions to Ask Your Pediatrician
Your child’s pediatric appointment is a great time to ask the doctor any questions and address any concerns you may have. The questions you might ask will vary based on your child’s age. Some suggested questions are:
- Does my child’s development match their age?
- Which vaccines are needed now?
- What symptoms warrant a trip to the emergency room vs. convenient care?
- How do I ensure my child is hitting physical activity goals?
- What are some resources for nutritious, kid-friendly meals and snacks?
No matter what stage your child is in, we are help you at Center for Family Medicine. To learn more and schedule a pediatric appointment, contact us.