Taking your child to the doctor is an important way to ensure they stay as healthy as possible through their school-age years.
Even if your schedule is hectic, do your best to make time for appropriate exams. In the long run, such care could save you and your child time and stress.
Our team at Sellwood Medical Clinic, with four locations in the metro Portland area, includes experienced pediatricians who provide well-child exams and more for kids of all ages.
We put the following information together to help you determine the best timing for your child’s doctor visits.
Wellness exams allow your pediatrician to collect and track vital information about your child’s development and health. These exams include testing your child’s pulse, blood pressure, and breathing.
If your child shows signs of a developmental issue, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), exams provide a chance for early intervention so your child can get the support they need to thrive.
In general, your school-age child should have a well-child exam once a year. This is a slight decrease from their infant years, yet still often enough to assess and track changes. If your child has a chronic health issue, your provider may recommend routine wellness checkups more often.
Between ages 10-15, your child may benefit from routine gynecology exams to discuss matters like menstruation and birth control.
In between annual well-child exams, your child can benefit from additional care for any health challenges or symptoms that crop up. In some cases, such care is essential for their well-being.
Cold symptoms, for example, such as a runny nose, usually peak within a few days and then gradually resolve on their own. If that doesn’t happen, your child may need medical care.
With an exam, your provider can pinpoint the underlying cause of their symptoms and recommend helpful treatment. (In some cases, issues like allergies are mistaken for a cold.)
Important reasons for a checkup include:
Seek immediate care if your child develops severe symptoms, such as bloody stool, vomiting that lasts longer than 12-24 hours, intense abdominal pain, yellowish skin (jaundice), or difficulty breathing.
If you’re not sure when to schedule your child’s next exam or get on track with annual visits, call Sellwood Medical Clinic today or book an appointment online here. It’s never too late to improve practices that enhance your child’s health, and our team is eager to support you both.
