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Make Time for Well-Child Visits

As a busy mom, you鈥檙e juggling it all鈥昫ashing from work to soccer practice to dance class, fitting in birthday parties, teacher conferences, and family dinners around the kitchen table. While it may feel tough to fit it all in, here鈥檚 something you don鈥檛 want to skip: well-child visits. Recommended for infants, children, and teens, these medical appointments are the time for vaccinations, important health screenings, a check of your child鈥檚 development, and for you to ask questions and voice concerns.

Kids who skip well-child visits are more likely to fall behind on the vaccines they need to stay healthy. As a result, they may face higher odds for pneumonia and other infections that need hospital treatment.听

Heed the tips below to make scheduling and keeping well-child visits easier, and to help you make the most of them.

Know when to go. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends well-child visits for babies and young toddlers at 3 to 5 days old, then at ages 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, and 30 months. Starting at age 3, kids and teens need one preventive-care visit every year through age 21.

Make scheduling (and remembering) a cinch. Take advantage of appointment reminders鈥昩y phone, text, or email鈥昽ffered by the pediatrician鈥檚 office. Schedule well-child appointments at the same time each year, such as before the start of school, to help you remember. And always say 鈥測es鈥 if office staff offer to schedule your child鈥檚 next well visit while you鈥檙e already there. This convenience boosts the chances you and your child will keep this important appointment.

Understand the big wellness benefits. Unlike sick visits, where the focus is on diagnosing and treating illness, every well-child visit covers a wide range of health needs, depending on your child鈥檚 age. These include:

  • Vaccines

  • A physical exam

  • Checks of vision, hearing, cholesterol, and blood pressure at recommended ages, plus autism screening

  • An assessment of your child鈥檚 emotional health

  • For teens, time for confidential conversations that may include assessments for alcohol and drug use and high-risk behavior

Keep up with your rapidly growing child. Kids鈥 minds and bodies grow quickly. Well visits help you keep pace with what they need now. Most of these appointments last 11 to 20 minutes or even longer. That gives you time to talk about topics like:

  • Healthy eating

  • Sleeping

  • Physical activity

  • How your child鈥檚 doing in school, at home, and in activities

Strengthen your partnership with the doctor. Chat away! Conversations with your child鈥檚 pediatrician or family doctor at wellness visits are a great way to build a relationship that can enhance your child鈥檚 health. By speaking freely, you鈥檙e adding more information to your child鈥檚 health history and helping the doctor better understand his or her wellness needs.

Get set for success. Make the most out of every visit. Before your appointment, jot down three to five questions about your child鈥檚 well-being that you鈥檇 like to discuss.

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