Nothing matters more than the health of your child. Taking them to regular checkups with a pediatrician at all the recommended ages can help to ensure that they stay healthy and thriving. As a parent, it’s important to know the purpose and benefits of these regular checkups.
Why You Should Have a Regular Pediatrician
Pediatricians specialize in caring for children, and have expertise in monitoring their growth and development, detecting health issues, and treating certain chronic conditions. They can also provide recommended vaccinations that can protect your child from common childhood diseases. It’s important to have a regular pediatrician who will have all of your child’s health records so that they know your child’s history and can treat them appropriately based on that information.
Why Regular Checkups for Your Child Matter
Regular checkups for your child matter for several reasons.
Monitoring Growth and Development
Your pediatrician will measure your child’s weight and height at every checkup and compare those to normal size ranges based on their age. This allows the pediatrician to monitor their growth and development over time and address any concerns such as nutritional deficiencies. They will also discuss their progress with you in other areas, such as crawling, walking, talking, and more to make sure that your child is meeting all their milestones. If your child is not meeting milestones, they can investigate further to find the cause and provide medical intervention.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are an important part of your child’s medical care, protecting them from many diseases. It’s critical to ensure that your child is up to date on vaccinations by taking them to regular checkups.
Diseases that can be prevented with vaccinations include:
- Hepatitis B
- Rotavirus
- Diphtheria
- Tetanus
- Pertussis (whooping cough)
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease
- Polio
- Pneumococcal disease
- Measles
- Mumps
- Rubella
- Varicella (chickenpox)
- Hepatitis A
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)–related cancers
- Meningococcal disease
- Influenza (flu)
- COVID-19
Early Detection
Regular checkups include a physical exam, during which your pediatrician can detect signs of certain health issues. With this early detection, treatment can be started faster, increasing the likelihood of positive outcomes.
Parental Guidance
As children grow and develop, their needs change. At regular checkups parents can receive guidance from the pediatrician about things like nutrition, mental health, and other health related needs. Checkups are also an opportunity for parents to ask questions and express concerns.
Chronic Condition Management
If your child has a chronic condition like asthma or diabetes, your pediatrician can monitor and manage the condition and adjust treatment when necessary.
What Happens at a Checkup
At regular checkups, your child will be physically examined and measured, vaccinations are given if due, and certain screenings may be done such as vision and hearing screenings and developmental screenings. Checkups are also a time for discussions about any concerns you may have about your child’s development and health.
Choosing a Pediatrician
Choosing a pediatrician is a multi-step process.
- Ask for referrals
Start by asking for referrals from different sources, including your family, and friends. This should provide you with a list of options.
- Check your insurance
Call your health insurance company to see if the pediatricians on your list are in your insurance network. They can also provide you with more pediatrician options.
- Check their location
You’ll want your pediatrician to be fairly close by in case of emergency and for convenience, so see where their offices are located.
- Do some research
Go online to check their experience, qualifications, board certifications, hospital affiliation, services offered, and reviews. Read through the reviews to find out what others have liked and disliked about them.
- Schedule interviews
Make appointments with the pediatricians on your list so that you can interview them. You’ll want to go in with a set of questions to ask them.
When you interview pediatricians, consider asking these questions.
- What is your care philosophy?
This should include questions about how they feel about vaccinations, breastfeeding, antibiotics, nutrition, alternative care, and any other matters that are important to you. You’ll want a pediatrician whose philosophy coincides with your own.
- What are your office hours?
You’ll want to find out if they offer evening or weekend appointments.
- How far ahead do I need to schedule well visits?
This is important so that your child stays on schedule with their checkups and vaccinations.
- Do you offer same day sick appointments?
When your child is sick, particularly in infancy, you’ll want a pediatrician who will accommodate your needs and see your child quickly.
- Is your practice a group practice?
If the pediatrician is part of a group practice, you’ll want to learn about the other physicians in the group who may see your child when your regular pediatrician is unavailable. Also ask if they have nurse practitioners or physician assistants on staff who may see your child.
- How do you handle questions?
Find out if the pediatrician has a way for you to communicate with questions you may have, such as a nurse help line or by email. Also ask about after-hours accessibility for questions.
- Do you separate sick and well visits?
Some pediatrician’s offices have separate areas for sick visits and well visits to reduce the risk of your child picking something up when you bring them in for a checkup.
In Closing
Regular checkups for your child with a pediatrician can help your child to stay healthy, and to grow into a healthy adult. The pediatricians at Health Service Alliance are here to help. We are dedicated to providing compassionate, personalized, and accessible care for your child regardless of your ability to pay. Reach out today to learn more.
