Doctor visits aren’t just for when your child is sick. Well-care visits are a way to track the health and development of your child.
WellTuned spoke with Dr. Sharon Moore-Caldwell, a BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee medical director and pediatrician, to learn about the value of regular preventive care for children and teens.
Why are regular checkups important for children and teens?
Dr. Moore-Caldwell: Well-care visits allow health care providers to assess a patient’s physical and emotional wellbeing since their last visit. They help identify acute concerns/illnesses and prevent future illness.
Well-care visits are opportunities for re-evaluation, re-connection, and re-committing to your child’s health and wellbeing.
Here are 3 things parents should know and do:
- Checkups include important physical exams as well as emotional and developmental screenings. Follow these recommendations.
- Encourage your pre-teens and teens to ask questions during checkups and begin taking ownership of their health care.
- Ask questions when your child’s doctor discusses growth and body mass index. You’ll learn more about weight range, nutrition and physical activity.
What’s included in a well-care visit and are they needed more at certain stages?
Dr. Moore-Caldwell: Visits will include a comprehensive history and exam, as well as lab work, if needed. They will also include immunizations if they are due.
The timing of well-care visits, sometimes called checkups, is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Based on age, visits include evaluations such as development screenings, mental health screenings, lab tests and age-appropriate immunizations.
Why is it important to have well-child visits at the recommended intervals?
Dr. Moore-Caldwell: Each well-child visit should include conversations that span child/teen safety, school performance, social interactions, nutrition and physical activity. The physical exam is also a time of teaching the patient and parent or caregiver about the child/teen’s body and development. It allows pre-teens and teens to ask questions to begin taking ownership of their health care.
What will my child’s doctor discuss related to nutrition and physical activity?
Dr. Moore-Caldwell: Discussions on nutrition and physical activity are age-based. Appetite, food preferences, family mealtimes, snacks, fluid intake and caloric needs are discussed. Guidance is given to promote healthy choices that hopefully will become life-long habits.
What is body-mass index, or BMI, that doctors check and track? Why is it important?
Dr. Moore-Caldwell: BMI is a measure of weight in relation to height. It is not a perfect measurement and is only one part of knowing if a child is at a heathy weight. In children, BMI percentiles are more commonly used. Children below the 5th percentile may need improved nutrition, and children above the 85th percentile may be at risk for chronic conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes.
The hope is that the number will not cause frustration or worry for the patient and caregiver, but that it will be a reminder of the importance of healthy food choices and regular physical activity.
What trends or concerns are you seeing related to lack of physical activity?
Dr. Moore-Caldwell: Computers, TVs and cell phones are a part of our lives. But daily physical activity is essential for fitness and health. It can also be great for stress relief. We need to be intentional in limiting screen time and choose to get up and move. Caregivers play a key role in setting guardrails for this and modeling healthy behavior.
What do you see as an added benefit of well-care visits?
Dr. Moore-Caldwell: Children and teens need to learn to advocate for themselves and be able to trust, share and engage with their health care providers. This connection is important for physical, social, mental and emotional health.
Resources from WellTuned
Easy to Read Vaccine schedules from the CDC
Child and adolescent vaccine recommendations
Helpful information for parents
American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children resources
Get more information about specific health terms, topics and conditions to better manage your health on bcbst.com. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members can access wellness-related discounts on fitness products, gym memberships, healthy eating and more through Blue365®. BCBST members can also find tools and resources to help improve health and well-being by logging into BlueAccess and going to the Managing Your Health tab.