By Dr. Denise Powell
As pediatricians, well-child checkups are a time for us to check in on children and maximize their potential to become the best versions of themselves. These visits are important because they allow us to practice something called preventive medicine, which means taking measures to keep your child healthy and safe and prevent illnesses or certain conditions. If your child has preexisting conditions, we also work with you and other physicians treating your child to provide holistic care.
WHAT DO WELL CHECK VISITS LOOK LIKE?
Depending on the age, they can include anything from a series of questions, which we call history, to making sure your child looks OK with a physical exam to doing lab work and any needed imaging like X-rays. In some offices, there are even books and stickers waiting for the children after their clinic visit.
A physical exam within these visits usually includes inspecting children from head to toe and comparing this from visit to visit to see how the child is doing. Often, we will include the parent in the exam portion to make the child as comfortable as possible, especially when they are younger and “stranger anxiety” starts to set in.
At the very first visits for children, we review what happened after they were born, how they are feeding and growing, as well as important records like newborn screens. Newborn screens give us information about whether infants may have genetic conditions.
HOW OFTEN ARE CHECKUPS NEEDED?
When children are younger, we schedule them for more frequent visits so we can follow their growth and development more closely in their first years of life. As they get older, we space the visits out but, of course, are always here if families need us.
As children get into their adolescent or teenage years, we begin to conduct visits both with parents in the room and with the children alone so we can screen for important factors in their lives as they get older. As we all adjust to a world that has seen a lot in the past few years, it is important that we check in on teenagers and all children regarding their mental health, in addition to what we think of as physical health.
Dr. Denise Powell is a pediatrician in Bay St. Louis. To schedule an appointment, call (228) 220-5200 or visit Ochsner.org/schedule.