Well-Child Visits in Davidson, NC
Annual Check Ups are Essential to Your Child’s Health
As a child grows and develops, especially during the early stages of life, it is best for pediatricians to monitor their development through a series of regularly scheduled appointments. These are known as well-child visits.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), an ongoing relationship between a family and their pediatrician is a key requirement of quality health care for children.
This relationship helps to build a level of trust that is important to achieving effective communication during the well child visit. Additionally, the AAP believes that simply taking a child to the doctor when he or she is not feeling well is not sufficient in helping to ensure continued healthy development. Well child visits permit parents to prepare topics for discussion in concert with their child’s examination.
The board-certified pediatricians at Davidson Family Medicine provide well child check-ups at our office in Davidson, NC. Find out what you can expect during your child’s visit and call us or schedule your appointment online today.
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Well Child Visit Schedule
Each well-child visit is strategically planned based on the child’s age. These types of appointments provide an excellent opportunity for a pediatrician to examine the child and determine whether or not they are meeting the normal developmental milestones.
Children are advised by the American Academy of Pediatrics to attend a well-child visit at the following ages:
- 2 – 5 days
- 1 month
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 12 months
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 2 years
- 2 and a half years
Once the child reaches 3 years of age, it is recommended that they participate in a well-child visit once each year until they are 21 years old.
Primary Purpose of a Well-Child Visit
The biggest benefit to bringing your kid to regular well-child visits is to prevent potential physical, mental, or social issues such as:
- Childhood diseases
- Sleep disorders
- Abnormalities in height, weight, or head circumference
- Behavior disorders such as ADHD, OCD, etc.
Immunizations are often administered at well-child visits in order to avoid potential illnesses. Parents may also wish to discuss safety protocols for their home or the child’s school.
An added benefit to seeing a pediatrician so often during the first few months and years of a child’s life is that it gives parents the perfect opportunity to bond closely with their family physician. This greatly increases the likelihood that parents will reach out or ask additional questions of their pediatrician, which can substantially improve the health of the child.
What to Expect During Your Child’s Appointment
Well child visits focus on helping to maintain your child’s health by monitoring a number of important areas to help assure their health and to identify conditions which may not openly manifest themselves. Important aspects of these visits include:
- An evaluation of your child’s growth and development
- A discussion of safety, nutrition, fitness, behavior, school, peer interaction, day to day family life, etc.
- Addressing attention or learning challenges
- A complete physical examination
- Recording your child’s height, weight, and other important information
- Assessing body mass index for identifying and preventing obesity
- Developmental screenings, if appropriate
- Diseases currently “going around” that may affect your child
- Age-appropriate screening tests (including hearing, vision, hemoglobin, etc.)
- Age appropriate immunizations
- An opportunity to ask questions