Pediatric Well Checks

School is starting back in a few weeks. Doesn’t it feel like summer has flown by? With that in mind, you need to be sure to schedule preventative care appointments for yourself and your children. 

‍What is preventative care?

Preventative care helps detect diseases and serious medical conditions before they become a major problem. Many insurances cover these appointments as it can result in lower overall medical expenses. Immunizations, annual checkups, and some screenings are examples of preventative care. 

‍Which shots are recommended for children?

If your child is attending public school, there are immunization requirements that must be provided. Here is a list of the TN recommendations for immunizations. For children who have followed the recommended immunization chart since birth, they will not experience a big dose of shots to start school. Most of those immunizations will have happened over the years leading up to school age. 

Some children experience a minor reaction to shots including a fever or rash. Because of this, it is good to catch up on any immunizations during summer break to give your child’s body ample time to recover. 

‍What happens in a pediatric annual appointment?

Annual check-ups are important to support your growing child. At these appointments the child’s height and weight will be noted. It will be graphed on a chart to see if they are within “normal” ranges and more importantly if the child is following his/her personal growth curve. If your child begins to move away from their curve, then your doctor will look into what could be causing this. It’s important to identify any health concerns before they become serious. 

Hearing, vision, and other screening tests are also conducted at these appointments. If there are any concerns such as your child struggling to read an eye chart, then your doctor will likely recommend him/her to see a specialist for proper diagnosis and support. You want to make sure you identify issues that could impact your child’s learning and social development. 

Your pediatrician will also discuss several topics with you and your child. This could include: sleep, diet and consumption of water, safety, frequency of dentist visits, and what to expect over the next year among other things. Your pediatrician is there to support your family as your child grows while also being a voice of reason as you work to protect your child. 

If you haven’t scheduled an annual visit for each person in your family, please do. These visits are often fully covered by insurance to help you maintain your health. Healthstar Physicians is taking new patients and is here to support your family. From primary care to specialty needs, our team can provide you top quality medical care. We take most forms of insurance and have offices across East Tennessee.