After your child is born, you are recommended to take him to regular doctor’s visits at certain periods in their lives. While it is always good to get a doctor’s checkup, there are special visits, known as well-child care. These special visits take place from when the baby is born all the way until he is five years old.
Well-child visits are an important part of growing up. They will provide you with invaluable information on your child’s developmental progress as well as screen for any possible health issues. Here are some of the major aspects of well-child care.
The Basics
In the first stage of your visit to the pediatrician, the doctor or nurse will check your child’s height, weight, and other basic components of a checkup. These are absolutely normal for any doctor’s visit and they are not specific to well-child. However, it is possible that the pediatrician will do more in depth studies, such as head circumference and other measurements.
The Consultation
An important part of a well-child visit comes from the consultation part of the visit. This is the time when you, as the parents, have to communicate any questions or concerns regarding your child’s health. Communication is key, and you should always be ready to point out any cause for concerns that have affected your child.
As part of this portion of the visit, you should encourage your child to speak up as well if they are old enough. It is often the case that a child will not voice their problems to their parent, but they will to the doctor. The sooner you identify concerns to your child’s doctor, the sooner a proper treatment can be assessed.
Questions from the Doctor
In addition to voicing your own concerns, the doctor will probably have a bunch of questions to ask you depending on the age of your child. These questions can range anywhere from eating habits to sleeping habits. It is important to answer as accurately as you can in order to relegate the necessary information to the doctor.
For example, you should indicate whether or not a particular type of food makes your child feel unwell. That particular reaction to certain food might actually indicate an underlying allergy that your child’s pediatrician will be able to diagnose.
Prevention
Finally, well-child care is the primary visit where your child’s doctor will check up on their progress with immunizations and other preventive measures. Depending on the immunization schedule or the season, the doctor will administer or schedule immunizations. Additionally, the doctor might check up on any medications that your child is taking.
Growing up Healthy
The point of these visits is to make sure that your child is absolutely healthy. Well-child care is the first line of defense against diseases or disorders that might otherwise hinder normal development for a child. The sooner these problems are treated, the less risk there is in the future that a child will suffer from adverse effects.
