What You Need To Know About Well-Child Care Visits

Well-child care visits are important in ensuring your child’s good health. This basically involves regular checkups and wellness examinations in a trusted pediatric clinic, from the time the child is one week old until he or she becomes older.

As opposed to doctor's visits when the child is sick, a well-child visit is more of a regular activity to monitor the child’s overall health and general well-being. The main objective is to make sure that the child is growing normally in all aspects, and to arrest wrong child-rearing practices as early as possible. The child’s height, weight, and other information relevant to his growth and development are recorded and reviewed by the doctor, especially among infants and toddlers.

There are also physical examinations to check vision, hearing, heart activity, reflexes, and the like. Furthermore, necessary immunization shots are administered to prevent life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis, influenza, meningitis, and polio. Nutrition and diet are also discussed with parents during these checkups, with some clinics requiring the older children or teenagers to undergo urinalysis or blood pressure screening.

For parents, a well-child visit is also an opportune time to openly discuss your child's health with the pediatrician. Why wait until it's too late before taking your child to a doctor, when you can do something to aid his or her physical, emotional, and mental development right now? 

Pediatrics in Littleton: Quick Tips for Preventing Whooping Cough

Andrew M. Seaman wrote in an article in reuters.com last September 13 about the higher risk of children being diagnosed with whooping cough, a.k.a. pertussis, if they are behind their diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DtaP) shots schedule.

Quick Tips from a Pediatrician in Littleton on How to Prevent Flu

Some parents think that the flu is just a simple stomach bug. However, they should always remember that flu is more dangerous than a typical cold or tummy ache. A September 16 article in CNN.com written by Dr. Jennifer Shu gave 5 different ways that could help protect children from the flu season.

Pedia Power: Child Rearing with a Pediatrician

Kids are a lot more fragile than adults in more ways than one. Since their developing bodies have yet to reach their full strength and capacity, children are at the mercy of numerous diseases and illnesses. Even something as simple as a cold, which is nothing more than a nuisance for adults, can be completely devastating for a young one. Parents need to look after their children carefully and closely, and they may want to enlist the help of a pediatrician.

A pediatrician is a physician who specializes in the care and treatment of child patients. They're responsible for helping kids get through life by overseeing aspects of their well-being, like their diet, vaccination, vitamin and mineral intake, and so on. They're also around to help parents better raise their kids by giving medical advice or prescription.

Parents will find a pediatrician very useful; from the moment the mother gives birth, the parents can already approach a pediatrician for guidance on how to rear the baby. Sticking to the child’s pediatrician throughout his or her growing years has the advantage of familiarity; there's no better doctor than the one who's been attending to your kid for years. A child’s health is a delicate thing, and pediatricians can help moms and dads preserve it.