“My son is so healthy. Why does he need a well check?” “My daughter had so much illness last winter, she saw the doctor ten times. Why does she need to come again for a well check?” “The sports form only needs to be completed every three years. Isn’t that often enough to come in for a well check?”

What exactly is a well check anyway, and why do we recommend that your child have one every year? The short answer is that once a year, we want to do a complete physical examination on your child, to make sure that there are no signs of illness that you or your child are unaware of. We want to make sure that they are growing and developing normally. We want to address any health concerns that you have not had time to bring up at brief illness-related visits. But, a well check is so much more……..

Did you know that a well check is scheduled for a longer time than most illness visits? While most illness visits are scheduled for 15 minutes, well checks are scheduled for 30 minutes, and sometimes 45 minutes for an adolescent. This gives the pediatrician or nurse practitioner plenty of relaxed time in which to get to know your child better. We spend the extra time discussing healthy lifestyle habits – are you eating all the healthy food groups, getting enough exercise, enough sleep? Are you brushing your teeth, seeing the dentist? How are you doing in school, do you have good friends, are you being bullied? And, if your child is a teenager, we will ask you to leave the room, while we confidentially discuss smoking, alcohol, drugs and sexual activity. When a teenager knows that these discussions are confidential, they are more likely to be honest and to accept advice from a caring adult.

Well checks are also an opportunity to screen children and adolescents for mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, and to learn about any family issues that may be affecting their mental health or behavior. We can schedule appointments to discuss further or make a referral to an appropriate provider.

All of the advantages of the well child visit are increased when your child sees the same provider every year. As they get older, they recognize that this is “my doctor”, so they feel more comfortable and less anxious when they have to come in for an illness. A teenager who knows her provider well is more comfortable coming in on her own to discuss sensitive issues. Many of us have patients in college who still like to come in to see their own doctor or nurse practitioner to discuss sensitive health issues. This relationship only develops in children who have seen the same provider for many well checks.

And, finally, the reason for the well child check is to get your child up to date on all the recommended immunizations. At South Lake Pediatrics we follow the Center for Disease Control recommended immunization schedule, because we know it is the best way to keep children safe from preventable infectious diseases. And, we know that vaccines are safe!

So, I hope that you can see the value in the yearly well check for your child. Please schedule your child’s next exam now by calling 952-401-8300. If you are planning to come in the summer, the sooner you schedule the better, so you can get the date and time you prefer.