Children learn and grow under your care from the moment they are born to the day they leave your home. You get to experience every significant moment of their childhood, from learning how to walk to driving a car. But as your child has these accomplishments, it’s important that they remain in good health.
So here is what to expect from visiting a pediatrician. Maybe you have a child who is nervous about seeing the doctor. As early as newborns to their late teens, children need to be healthy and avoid unexpected issues. Pediatricians will remain professional and make the child feel comfortable in their skin.
Infant Checkups
When you bring in your baby for their first few visits, your pediatrician will watch for developmental milestones, such as neck strength and overall movement. Additionally, the doctor will take the necessary measurements and numbers of your baby, along with checking birthmarks, rashes, and inspect the baby’s genitalia for tenderness, lumps, or infection.
Blood pressure, body mass index, heart rate, and breathing will get thoroughly checked to make sure everything develops appropriately. While they press on your baby’s abdomen, they try to detect enlarged organs or an umbilical hernia. Lastly, the pediatrician will provide immunizations and vaccinations to fight diseases.
Toddler Checkups
Once your child reaches toddler age, learning what to expect from visiting a pediatrician won’t be much different. The doctor will do vision and hearing tests and check your child’s emotional, mental, and social development.
They want to make sure they and the family’s general well-being meets expectations. They’ll also note how they react to strangers, interact with others, and any abnormal behavioral changes. Otherwise, the doctor will check their measurements.
School-Age Checkups
As your child reaches their early educational years, pediatricians mainly check for measurement changes and their emotional, social, and mental development. They will ask about your child’s activity levels, sleeping habits, motor skills, and language skills.
Additionally, the doctor will observe their independence with you and the family. Lastly, they’ll cover their reading skills and problem-solving techniques to ensure they learn enough in their learning material.
Puberty Checkups
During the transition from being a child to a fully-fledged teenager, some teens find it easier to talk to a doctor they’re comfortable with. While they give a physical exam, doctors will look for indications of alcohol use, tobacco or drug use, depression, and sexual health. The doctor will ask about sexual activities, prevention, and transmitted infections.
While girls learn how to give themselves monthly breast exams and go for gynecologist exams, boys will learn how to look for hernias and testicular cancer. Lastly, your child will receive any vaccines and immunizations they need, such as Hepatitis A and B.
Visiting a pediatrician shouldn’t feel like an unpredictable experience. Educate yourself and your child on what they will experience and how it benefits them. From there, you get to watch your child grow right before your eyes.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 