The Importance of Regular Well Care Visits

Arrange your child’s well care visits in Sacramento, CA, by partnering with Timberlake Pediatrics.

How Do Well Care Visits Benefit Your Child?

 Children grow up quickly. Before you know it, the infant who clung to you at every opportunity is now at school and hanging out with friends. Your job as a parent is to ensure your child can progress along that route without much issue. To accomplish that goal, you must arrange well care visits.

Well care or well-child visits are critical to your child’s healthy development. They are essential because they provide a complete picture of your child’s condition.

The first visits provide opportunities for your pediatrician to administer vaccinations. Completing those vaccinations on schedule is important because they protect your child against potentially serious diseases.

Your pediatrician will also conduct comprehensive physical exams during your child’s well care visits. These exams gauge the performance of your child’s senses as well as the health of their organs. The aforementioned exams will also check if your child is developing at the expected rate for someone their age. 

Note that well-child visits do not focus solely on a child’s physical wellness. Pediatricians also evaluate your child’s mental and emotional health during those check-ups.

As your child grows older, the well care visits become more collaborative appointments between your child and the pediatrician. Your child can speak to the pediatrician about puberty or their school experiences.

If your child wants to play sports, your doctor can conduct examinations to check for potential health issues that may stem from that decision. They can also provide valuable advice that can help your child avoid injuries.

Parents can also take an active role during these visits. Mention concerns you have about your child’s health so the pediatrician can examine them closely.

When Should Well Care Visits Take Place?

 There is a recommended schedule for a child’s well care visits. The first appointment should occur within the first week of your child’s birth. You should schedule additional visits when your child is one, two, four, and six months old.

After your child reaches six months, you can set visits three months apart until they are 18 months old. From there, you can space check-ups six months apart until your child turns three years old. You can shift to annual visits after your child celebrates their third birthday.

Of course, you don’t have to wait for your child’s scheduled appointments to learn more about the issues they’re currently dealing with. If your child is complaining about a health issue, you should set an immediate appointment with the pediatrician.

Call 916-688-5040 to reach Timberlake Pediatrics and schedule your child’s well care visits in Sacramento, CA.