Well-child visits aren't just important during the first year or two of life but help ensure good health as your children grow. The pediatricians at Carolina Kids Pediatrics in Raleigh, NC, offer a range of services that will help you protect your child's health.

So, what happens at routine checkups in older kids?

Well-child visits include a number of routine screenings in addition to routine measurements of height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure, vital signs. Some additional examples of routine screenings recommended by the AAP and routinely performed in our office include:

• Vision screening beginning at age 1 with new photo-screening technology
• Audiometry (hearing evaluation) annually beginning in the preschool years
• In-office laboratory screening for iron deficiency, cholesterol, lead exposure and more
• Standardized developmental screening for communication skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, personal/social skills and autism spectrum disorders
• Fluoride treatment to prevent early tooth decay beginning in infants 6-12 months of age
• Adolescent screening for mood disorders, substance abuse, and sexual health
•  Routine immunizations from infancy through college
• Opportunities to discuss health issues and concerns: During well-child care visits, your Raleigh pediatrician is available for a wide range of other questions about nutrition, school performance, injury prevention, behavior, and many other issues.

Is it time to schedule your child's well-child visit? Call pediatricians at Carolina Kids Pediatrics in Raleigh, NC, at (919) 881-9009 to make an appointment.

As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Over the next couple of months, you may receive a patient portal message or text message if your child has not been seen for a well child care visit in a while. We don't want to nag, so we will only send one reminder, but we do believe that regular checkups are among the most important things we do for kids. 

Here's a great link from the AAP about checkups - it provides you not only with an explanation of recommended well child care visits, but also links to some checklists and questionnaires that you can use to get ready for your child's visit:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/health-management/Pages/Well-Child-Care-A-Check-Up-for-Success.aspx

So, what do we do at checkups anyway? 

It's about a lot more than checking your child's heigh and weight and giving needed immunizations. Carolina Kids Pediatrics follows the AAP's "Bright Futures" guidelines for preventive screening, a comprehensive guideline that recommends health screening in many areas of a child's life. This includes behavior, development, growth, nutrition, school performance, sleep routines, laboratory screening (such as newborn screening, iron checks, cholesterol checks, etc.), blood pressure screening, vision and hearing screening, fluoride treatments, and much more. 

By scheduling regular visits with your child’s Raleigh, NC, pediatrician, we can insure that your child is healthy and developing properly. If there are any health or developmental concerns, they can be addressed early before they lead to more problems. Carolina Kids Pediatrics provides well child care visits for children beginning at birth and continuing all the way through young adulthood.

Well Child Care Visits

Your child needs several well child care visits during the first two years of life and should see a Raleigh pediatrician at birth and 2 weeks, as well as 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months of age. Beginning at age 2, children should have one well child care visit every year. For school age children who need a physical for school entry or to participate in sports, that can also be completed during the well child care visit - we'll generally require that your child has had a well child care visit within 12 months of providing clearance for any sport.

Well child care visits are an important part of keeping children healthy. Regular visits allow your child’s Raleigh, NC, pediatrician to keep track of your child's overall health. To schedule a well child care visit for your child, please call Carolina Kids Pediatrics at (919) 881-9009.