The compassionate team at Patrick County Family Practice in Stuart, Virginia, has the remarkable ability to connect with children and teens, even those who are anxious or uncommunicative. As a result, each child gets the preventive health care they need to thrive.
Well-child exams make sure that your child is healthy, growing, and gaining weight at a pace that’s expected for their age. During these important exams, your child’s vision and hearing are also checked, and they’re evaluated for any sign of a health problem.
During the Patrick County Family Practice Well-child Exam, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss your child’s growth, development, behavior and other health issues with the goal of preventing illness and promoting the best possible health for your child.
Checkups can involve some or all of these items, depending on your child’s age:
- Vaccinations
- Head-to-toe exam, such as checking eyes and vision, ears and hearing, nose, mouth, reflexes, muscle tone and strength,
- Urine and Blood Tests as needed
- Measurements and growth chart check
- Body mass index (BMI) check
- Nutrition and eating habits, such as appetite, dieting, obesity and eating disorders
- Exercise, including quantity and type, leisure activities and sports
- Hygiene, including sleep habits, dental care, hand-washing, any itchiness or other irregular symptoms
- Intellectual development, depending on age of the child, including emerging social and developmental skills and school performance
- Emotional health and self esteem, including behavioral concerns, family dynamic, sibling rivalry
- Safety at home, school, and traveling, including child seats, seatbelts, helmets, and overall well being.
- During a well-child exam, the team at Patrick County Family Practice can also screen your child for nutritional deficiencies and developmental disorders like ADD or ADHD, as well as autism.
The well-child exam is also an ideal time for parents to ask Patrick County Family Practice questions or address concerns. Whether you’re not sure about a safety issue, you need help with a picky eater or potty training, or you’re worried about emotional and behavioral problems, this is your time to talk with the team at Patrick County Family Practice.
Benefits of Well-Child Exams:
Prevention – Your child gets scheduled immunizations to prevent illness. You also can ask about nutrition and safety in the home and at school. Prevention and early detection is the key to making sure your child is healthy.
Tracking of growth and development – Its important to see how much your child has grown in the time since your last visit, and talk with Patrick County Family Practice about your child’s development. You can discuss your child’s milestones, social behaviors, learning progress and anything else that you may be interested in discussing.
Asking Questions – Make a list of topics you want to talk about with your child’s wellness specialist at Patrick County Family Practice. Some topics you may want to discuss are development, behavior, sleep, eating or getting along with other family members. Patrick County Family Practice will work with you to make sure all your questions are answered.
Patrick County Family Practice Team approach – Regular visits creates a strong, trustworthy relationships between Patrick County Family Practice, parent and child. The AAP recommends well-child visits as a way for pediatricians and parents to serve the needs of children. Patrick County Family Practice believes this team approach helps develop optimal physical, mental and social health of a child.
Well-child Vaccination and Immunizations
You try to always do what is best for your children. You know about the importance of car seats, baby gates and other ways to keep them safe. But, did you know that one of the best ways to protect your children is to make sure they have all of their vaccinations?
Immunizations – Immunization can save your child’s life. Due to the advances in medical science, your child can be protected against more diseases than ever before in history. Some diseases that once sickened or killed thousands of children, have been completely eliminated and others are close to total extinction– mainly due to safe and effective vaccines. Polio is one example of the great impact that vaccines have had in the United States. Polio was once America’s most-feared disease, causing death and paralysis across the country, but today, thanks to vaccination, there are no reports of polio in the United States.
Vaccination are very safe and very effective – Vaccines are only given to children after a long and careful review by scientists, doctors, and healthcare professionals. Vaccines will involve some discomfort and may cause pain, redness, or tenderness at the site of injection but this is minimal compared to the pain, discomfort, and trauma of the diseases these vaccines prevent. Serious side effects following vaccination, such as severe allergic reaction, are extremely rare. The disease-prevention benefits of getting vaccines are much greater than the possible side effects for almost all children.
As you see the Well-child Exam serves many purposes, but it is primarily an opportunity for Patrick County Family Practice to ensure your child is growing and developing properly. It is important to catch delays and disorders as early as possible to ensure children get the treatment necessary to help them function optimally.
If you have questions about your child’s health or development, call Patrick County Family Practice or schedule a well-child exam today using the online booking feature.