Disclosure:: This post is sponsored by Ochsner Children’s and written by Dr. Rayne Schexnayder.
The Importance of Back-to-School Well-Child Visits
It’s back to school time already – the summer flies by faster each year, it seems! As a busy pediatrician at Ochsner Children’s and mom to two young girls, I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling the anticipation and jitters of starting a new school year. The homework, the extracurriculars, the parent meetings, the school functions … the list goes on. And, of course, the coordination that comes with it all. Knowing how hectic the school year is from preschoolers to seniors in high school, now is the time to make your child’s health and wellness a priority before the busyness of the school year begins.
It’s during those first three years that parents are used to visiting their child’s pediatrician for checkups every 2-6 months, depending on their kid’s age. But once kids move on to annual visits after age three, well visits often fall off the parent’s radar, especially if their child is usually healthy. I’m here to remind you that annual checkups after your child turns three are critical to keeping our kids healthy. Especially before the start of a new school year with tons of kids (and tons of germs).
What you may not realize as a parent is there are many other screenings that are performed at annual well visits that aren’t at regular sick visits. These screenings may be missed or delayed if a child skips a well visit and are only going to the doctor when they’re sick. Some of these additional screenings include looking further into their vital signs. Blood pressure checks start at three years old, as well as hearing and vision screenings. In adolescence, depression screenings and questionnaires also begin, as well as reviewing lab work and urine samples to make sure everything looks normal. These screenings are important to help us identify a potential problem before it may be detected by the caregiver or the child.
At well visits, your pediatrician will also dive deeper into all aspects of a child’s day-to-day life versus focusing on a specific problem during a sick visit. This may seem like a lot, but I promise there is a method to our madness!
Growth chart and habits
The growth chart is the starting point for most well visits, and this is one of my favorite parts. I love having my patients – even the toddlers – come join me at the computer and look over the growth chart together. Weight and height, as well as BMI, are discussed, as well as the child’s eating and drinking habits. We want all the details! Counseling parents (and kids when they’re older) on proper nutrition and balance of various food and drink is important. During these visits, we’ll also talk about bathroom habits and sleep habits, two critical parts of keeping a child happy and healthy.
Development and mental health
Depending on the age of the child, this discussion around development and mental health may sound a little different. This is when we’d chat about the upcoming school year and any learning difficulties or behavior concerns from the year prior. For adolescents, an open discussion about mental health is so important and necessary, and the well visit is when we can really take our time and focus on this.
Addressing new concerns
Another large portion of the checkup is discussing new concerns, either from parent or child. This is the time to bring up any new issue or worry you may have and discuss what we need to do to address them. We will also discuss any ongoing problem and be sure specialty follow-ups are up to date, as well as any medication refills needed.
Last, but not least, let’s talk vaccines
Preventive medicine is a huge part of a pediatric practice, and immunizations play a big role in this. Of all the steps we cover at checkups, vaccines are probably the most important piece of the puzzle to keeping your child healthy. At all the checkups, we will go over any vaccines that are due or when your child is due next for vaccines. That said, even if your child is not due for any vaccines in the coming years, they still need a well visit every year.
As you can see, there is a lot of ground to cover during the well visit, and it’s our job as pediatricians to ensure we cover it all. Some of these discussions during the appointments are broad, and this is what makes the well visit for kids so comprehensive (and so important). The head-to-toe physical exam is just as essential as the discussion. Unlike sick visits, where the exam is typically focused on the problem area, during the well visit, you can expect your child to have a thorough physical exam.
So, if you know your child or teen is due for their well visit and it’s been on your to-do list, go ahead and schedule that appointment now so you can have peace of mind starting the new school year. After all, what says school-ready more than a happy, healthy kid?
Happy back to school season!
To learn more or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Schexnayder visit, Rayne F. Schexnayder, MD | Ochsner Health
Rayne Schexnayder, MD is a native New Orleanian, a mom of two girls and a practicing pediatrician at Ochsner Children’s. She believes that developing a relationship with her pediatric patients and their families plays an integral role in providing quality medical care. Dr. Schexnayder strives to establish a strong rapport and trust so her patients can feel confident with the treatment plan.
