Regular well-baby checkups are as important for your child as sick visits are. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends taking your baby for a well-child visit frequently (at least 11 times) before the age of three years and annually after the age of three years.
The regular well-baby checkup includes immunization, a physical exam, assessment of your child’s growth, development, behavior, and learning. These checkups not only help your baby stay well but also allow the child’s pediatrician to pick up on potential problems that are more easily treatable when caught early.
Let’s discuss the benefits of well-baby checkups, especially the importance of tracking growth and development during a well-baby checkup.
Benefits of Well Child Checkups
Well-child checkups are important for your child’s long-term health and well-being due to numerous reasons. They allow your child to get their scheduled immunization to prevent illnesses.
Regular checkups also enable your child’s pediatrician to screen your child for various medical conditions, such as heart problems, vision or hearing problems, anemia, and other disorders at an early stage. Detections of various childhood problems at an early stage allow for timely intervention and treatment, leading to better outcomes.
Additionally, during a well-child checkup, your child’s pediatrician may also provide guidance on appropriate nutrition and feeding practices for your infant and young children. They can also address concerns relating to formula feeding, breastfeeding, the introduction of solid foods in your child’s diet, and any potential nutritional deficiencies of the child.
It is pertinent to mention here that well-child checkups are not only for children’s health but also for supporting parents or caregivers. A pediatrician may offer advice and information on parenting and age-appropriate safety measures and activities. This is also the best time for parents to raise concerns or questions about their child’s health and well-being.
Importance of Tracking Growth and Development During Well Child Visits
Growth and development assessment is one of the most vital components of well-child visits. During the visits, your pediatrician will discuss and monitor how your child is growing and developing and whether those changes align with others of the same age.
Growth and development assessment will assess the key areas of early childhood development: physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional. This means your child’s pediatrician will check for:
- Physical skills, such as walking, running, and grasping utensils and a pencil.
- Language skills, such as babbling as an infant and putting words into sentences as a toddler.
- Emotional skills, such as showing anger, smiling at others, etc.
- Cognitive skills, such as being able to remember details, names, and places, and develop problem-solving skills.
- Social skills, such as being able to relate to others in school, home, and childcare environments and forming a relationship with people around them.
By tracking these key areas of childhood growth and development, your child’s pediatrician can identify autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, and other potential developmental delays and issues. It also allows the child’s doctor to take appropriate actions to address developmental delays or concerns so that the child can live a healthy and happy life.
A Pediatrician Near me in Purchase, NY
If your baby is due for a routine wellness checkup and you are looking for a highly trained and compassionate pediatrician who offers a comprehensive range of pediatric services, contact Westchester Park Pediatrics. Our team of board-certified pediatricians uses developmental milestone checklists and questionnaires as a tool to identify developmental stages, changes, and the differences your child may be experiencing.
If you would like to know more about our pediatricians or would like to schedule a consultation with one of our pediatricians, call us today at (914) 761-1717 or fill out our online appointment request form.
