Make the Most of Your Child’s Wellness Exam
Wellness exams are an important part of helping your child grow up healthy and strong. Regular wellness visits help you to focus on your child’s overall wellbeing and build trust between you and your child’s pediatrician.
The relationship that you are able to develop with your pediatrician during these visits will also give him or her additional insights into your child and family that could help with diagnosing potential problems. So make the most of your child’s wellness visit. Here are six questions you should ask during a wellness visit.
Tip: Create a list of your top concerns about your child’s health to ensure you get all the information you need. Talk to others who care for your child — daycare provider, teacher, other parent — and get their input.
1. Are my child’s immunizations up to date?
Immunizations are a big part of a wellness exam. Work with your doctor to ensure your child is protected from disease, even if the school year has already started. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides immunization recommendations and schedules for children, teens and adults.
2. Is my child a healthy weight?
With childhood obesity on the rise, a wellness checkup is the perfect opportunity to ask your doctor about BMI measurement and many other concerns. Ask your doctor to suggest prevention ideas and healthy-lifestyle habits for kids. If your child is overweight, ask your doctor for steps you can take to pare down the pounds and improve her health.
3. How much sleep should my child get?
Sleep is a fundamental element of anyone’s health and is particularly important for kids whose bodies are still growing. Ask your doctor about proper sleep amounts for your child’s age. For example, preschool-age children need 11-12 hours of sleep. School-age children need 10 hours, while teens need 9-10 hours.
4. Is my child developing normally and meeting milestones?
While every child is unique, each should reach certain mental and physical developmental milestones around similar times from birth to 18 years and beyond. A wellness visit is a critical opportunity to detect a possible developmental delay or disability. Ask your doctor if he or she has any concerns and which milestones you should expect for your child’s age.
5. How can my child handle anxiety and other mental-health concerns?
Your child’s wellness visit is a great time to discuss any additional concerns you may have. For example, is your child withdrawn and depressed? Having trouble dealing with body changes during puberty? Is he or she struggling academically? Your doctor can help your child work through these issues and recommend a specialist if need be.
6. What do you recommend if my child is being bullied?
Bullying is a hot topic and many kids keep issues like this to themselves. Ask your doctor for suggestions and actions you can take to help your child understand, prevent or stop this behavior from occurring.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies visit their pediatrician for a well-child check-up as a newborn, by one month; at two, four, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen, and twenty-four months of age; and then once a year from age’s three to six. Your doctor will record your child’s height, weight and other important information. Additional screenings may take place — including sensory screenings and behavioral assessments — as well as scheduled vaccinations.
Related Content:
- Teen Depression: A guide for parents
- Childhood Vaccinations: A Pediatrician’s Perspective
- Is Your Child Overweight?
- Sleep Problems in Children: A Pediatrician’s Perspective
- Helping Your Child to Effectively Handle Bullying
