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Well-child Visits
Regularly scheduled checkups, called well-child visits, play a vital role in your child’s healthy development. It’s easy to skip visits to the pediatrician if your child appears to be happy and healthy, but you might not see potential problems that are correctable when caught early.
Mercy’s board-certified pediatricians and nurse practitioners are trained to provide preventive care and health screenings while developing a trusting relationship with you and your child.
At Mercy, pediatricians follow guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which recommends children have regular well-child visits starting within the first weeks of life all the way to adulthood.
What to Expect at a Well-child Checkup
At the well-child visit your provider will work to catch health concerns before they become serious issues by:
- Assessing and tracking physical growth and cognitive development
- Discussing any health concerns or behavioral health issues
- Performing pediatric immunizations that are due
- Performing hearing and vision screening tests
- Screening for blood disorders
- Providing safety recommendations
- Talking about healthy habits
- Completing required sports physicals
How to Prepare for a Well-Child Appointment
Talk with all your child’s caregivers – teachers, grandparents, sitter – to see if they’ve noticed any issues you may not have. Prepare a list of questions or concerns to bring up. With older children you can encourage them to do the same. Bring up any worries you may have about your child’s health, no matter how insignificant they may seem.
