Kids while growing up require extensive medical attention for their overall long term wellbeing. Everyone regardless of age should have annual physical checkups, but for the developing children it’s even more important. This is essential for for healthy development and prevention of diseases and accidents. An overall check up is extremely important because it can help determine if the child needs any form of aid in their developmental process.
Physical Examinations
Physicals greatly vary based on the age of the child, the doctor’s preferences and of course your health insurance. But the basic physical check has been uniformed by the guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
A basic physical will consists of recording the height and weight, checking the blood pressure, heart, lungs, abdomen, skin, eyes, teeth, throat, etc. The child will also be subject to various screenings such as scoliosis, hernia and the level of physical maturity. The doctor will examine the child’s fine/gross motor development and reflexes, which are extremely important to determine early on to ensure the child’s natural and sustained development.
Medical History
Proper examinations of your family’s medical history are crucial to detect the patterns of any chronic illnesses or hereditary diseases. It’s better to be completely prepared rather than simply hope for the best.
This can also help detect if the child has any allergies or illnesses such as asthma, after all, early detection can significantly alter the child’s future positively.
Behavioral Development
There is more to health than a healthy body. Annual checkups can also allow pediatricians to assess the child’s intellectual and behavioral development. It’s important to understand how your child deals with anger, disappointment, embarrassment, etc, the major stimuli for a child. As the child turns into a teen, the physician would screen them for depression, drug usage, and sexual activity.
Early Counseling
Annual physicals are extremely important for growing children but leveraging that and using those sessions for basic early life counseling can significantly help the parents and the child alike in the growing phase.
Children from the ages of 5 to 12 should get some aspect of counseling during their annual physicals, as this helps establish patterns which can easily last a lifetime. The talking aspect helps children establish a healthy relationship with their doctors and this is extremely important throughout their adulthood.
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