Treatment Options for Painful, Recurring Headaches

Posted on: 13 July 2015

From the time your child is born, you will have to take him or her to the doctor for well visits. A well visit is not designed to treat sicknesses, but instead it is designed to ensure that your child is growing and developing at a proper pace. If you are new to parenthood, you may be wondering what will take place at these visits. Here are four common things you will experience at each one.

Measurements And Examination

One of the first things the doctor will do is weigh and measure your child. These measurements will be placed on the child's chart and will be compared to the measurements of other kids. When your child is a baby, the doctor will also typically measure his or her head. By plotting these measurements on charts, you can see where your child rates compared to other kids.

This is a great way to make sure your child is growing at the right rate. If the doctor notices any problems with the child's growth rates, he or she may suggest looking into potential causes, problems, and issues.

Examining the child is also a standard part of every well visit. During the examination, the doctor will look at the child's eyes, nose, ears, legs, stomach, feet, and other body parts. The doctor does this to make sure that every part is normal and healthy, and this can help the doctor detect problems with the body.

Immunizations

Well visits are also used to ensure that children are current on their immunizations. Immunizations typically begin on the day a child is born and will continue throughout the child's entire life. Doctors base this on an immunization schedule, which is created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It's important to keep your child vaccinated according to this schedule. Failing to do this could put your child at risk for developing a major disease or illness. There are times when the CDC makes changes to the schedule, and your doctor will keep you informed about these changes if they affect your child.

Developmental Questions

As your child grows, he or she should begin growing physically, emotionally, and mentally. During a well visit, your doctor will ask you a series of questions to determine if your child is developing normally. The questions asked will depend on your child's age, but they could include questions like this:

• Is your child sitting up, crawling, or walking yet?
• How many words can he or she say?
• What does he or she eat and drink?
• Does the child sleep alone?
• Can he or she count to 10?
• How does the child act around other kids?
• How does the child communicate with you?

Questions like these can help a doctor detect emotional or mental problems early on, which can be helpful for treatment. For example, if the child should be saying at least 20 words at the age he or she is at, but is only saying 1 or 2, the doctor might refer your child to a speech therapist.

Concerns

The final part of a well visit is a time where you can ask questions and voice concerns. If you have any concerns about your child, you may want to write them down and bring in a list with you to the appointment. You can also list any questions you may have. Well visits are the perfect opportunity to find the answers you are looking for.

Your child will have a lot of well visits during the first year, but these normally drop down to annual visits after the child is 12 or 18 months old. If you would like to learn more about well visits, call your pediatrician today or visit http://www.EntiraFamilyClinics.com.