Childhood Preventative Healthcare
Although school is out for the summer, it’s not too early to start thinking about well-child checkups and sports physicals. It can be easy for the summer to slip by and leave you rushing to complete these prior to the start of a new school year. During the first months and years of life, children grow and develop at a fast pace. Well-child checkups are focused on assessing your child’s health, growth, and development. Your primary care provider can partner with you to help your child stay healthy, safe, and successful in all areas of life.
What happens at a well-child checkup? Measuring height, weight, vision, and vital signs helps your provider know if your child is meeting the physical standard for their age. Important information is gathered through interviews and questionnaires about your child’s specific health history, family history, and current milestones. Providers then determine any risk factors your child may have and if they are meeting the developmental milestones for their age. If your child is not meeting these standards, further follow-up may be needed. Anything out of the ordinary is good to know early on, when interventions can be most effective. Your provider can offer resources or connect you with specialty care, if needed.
Immunizations are given during well-child checkups. Your provider will discuss recommended vaccines and provide you with a Vaccine Information Statement, which provides facts about the vaccine to help you make an informed decision. Keeping your child up-to-date on immunizations is an important step in supporting their immune system and keeping them healthy while reducing the risk of illness. Many illnesses that vaccines protect you from are rarely heard of today, thanks to vaccines that have greatly reduced or eliminated these illnesses.
Your provider can also offer recommendations for care and safety tailored to your child’s age and stage. Topics such as lead, electrical safety, fire safety, car seat, and seat belt use, nutritious food choices, physical activity, sun safety, childcare, water supply, dental health, social and emotional health, healthy sleep habits, behavioral health, and a wide range of other topics may be reviewed. Well-child checkups are a great time to ask questions. Let’s face it, kids don’t come with an instruction manual. Having a primary care provider helps you care for your child when they are well and if they become ill. An established relationship with your provider gives you someone to turn to when needs arise.
Crossing Rivers Health Primary Care Clinic participates in Reach Out and Read. This non-profit organization supplies books to children from birth to preschool at their well-child appointment. In 2024, over 1000 books were given to children visiting our clinic. Reading aloud to your child promotes healthy brain development, grows language skills, and helps you develop a safe, loving relationship.
Sports physicals focus on determining if your child is safe to participate in sporting activities through their school. These physicals are a requirement of your school district prior to the beginning of practice. If your child is due for a well-child visit, these can often be completed at the same time.
Bringing your child to well-child checkups sets them up for healthy habits throughout their lifetime. As children transition into adolescence and adulthood, it is equally important to make wellness a priority. Routine checkups are for everyone. Make sure you schedule a wellness visit for yourself. Children learn from what they see you do. Modeling self-care teaches your child that this is an important practice in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Crossing Rivers Health Primary Care Providers want to make coming to our clinic a positive experience for you and your child. We love to watch them grow! Schedule a well-child checkup by calling our clinic today at 608.357.2500.