Most parents know the importance of bringing in their newborn baby for routine visits to their pediatrician in Lone Tree. These visits are crucial in ensuring that your baby is growing and thriving at the appropriate developmental level. As your child continues to grow, these visits continue to be an essential part of healthcare. Consider these three reasons why you should continue to schedule an annual checkup for your child.
Early Diagnosis
One good reason to schedule an annual checkup with your pediatrician from Lone Tree such as Lone Tree Pediatrics is so that your child’s health can be monitored. If your child has a family history of conditions such as diabetes, the pediatrician would be able to make an early diagnosis. This can help to prevent complications caused by chronic health conditions, such as kidney and eye damage that can be caused by untreated diabetes.
Health Screenings
As your child grows, their risk for certain medical conditions will change. School age children may begin to develop nearsightedness, and a vision screening can detect this condition. Your pediatrician will also conduct screenings for conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and the presence of protein in your child’s urine. Your child’s height, weight and BMI will also be tracked on a year-to-year basis. The information from health screenings allows you and your child’s pediatrician to do further testing or begin treatments if a problem is found on a health screening test.
Monitoring Lifestyle Choices and Behaviors
During an annual checkup, the pediatrician will talk to your child about their habits and behaviors. Your child might be asked about how much exercise they get every day, or how many fruits and vegetables they eat. Teenagers may be asked questions about potentially harmful behavior such as whether they have tried smoking or drinking. Your pediatrician may also ask older children and teenagers about common issues such as self-esteem, self-image and peer pressure. These questions give the pediatrician an opportunity to educate your child about substance abuse, mental health and other common issues that growing children have to face. It’s best to be as forthcoming as possible to the doctor so that they can have a clear picture of the state of your child’s health.
Sources
Family Checkup, CDC.
Health Checkup, NLM.NIH.
