Well-Child Checkups Specialist

What happens during a well-child checkup?

Well-child checkups are yearly visits that are tailored based on your child’s age, overall health, and any current symptoms. These comprehensive head-to-toe visits can include:

• Urinalysis
• Height and weight check
• Vaccinations or boosters 
• Neurological evaluations
• Vision and hearing evaluations
• Puberty evaluations
• On-site blood draws
• Listening to heart rhythm, breathing, and stomach sounds
  
  

What are immunizations?

The human body’s immune system offers natural protection from illness and disease with unique proteins called antibodies. While babies get some antibodies from their mothers at birth, they don’t last forever.

Babies and children aren’t exposed to many germs early in life, which means their bodies don’t have the antibodies needed to protect them from getting sick. Immunizations are vaccines that prevent your child from contracting certain infectious diseases, like Mumps or Rubella.

How do immunizations work?

Vaccines contain weakened or inactive versions of a disease material, which your care provider at Valley of the Sun Pediatrics injects into your child’s body to trigger an immune response.

When the vaccine enters the body, your child’s immune system creates antibodies to fight off disease. Because the vaccine contains, at best, weak germs, your child’s body can eliminate the virus without getting too ill.

What immunizations does my child need?

In order to prevent these once-devastating diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers guidelines on what immunizations children and adults should receive and when.

The CDC recommends that, when the time is right, children receive the following vaccinations and booster shots:

• Rotavirus
• Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Acellular Pertussis (DTaP)
• Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib)
• Pneumococcal Conjugate
• Inactivated Poliovirus
• Influenza
• Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
• Varicella
• Meningococcal
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

For more information, please see our immunization schedule here.

How often does my child need a well-child checkup?

It depends on their age. Your child experiences dramatic growth during their first few years of life, and to ensure they’re developing properly, frequent pediatric exams are essential. During their first few years of life, your little one needs a well-baby exam every few months. As long as your child is generally healthy by age 3, they typically only need to come into Valley of the Sun Pediatrics once a year.

Once your child reaches school age, their school or sporting club might require specialized physical exams. In this case, you can request a school or sports physical as needed or combine it with your child’s annual physical.

How do I prepare for a well-child checkup?

You can do a few simple things to prepare for your child’s well-child checkup at Valley of the Sun Pediatrics. Depending on any medical issues your child has been through since your last visit, or any school or sports requirements, it can be helpful to:

• Bring in medical records from any other provider your child has seen
• Make a list of any medications they take, as well as the dosages
• Bring in any forms needed for school or sports
• Write down your questions or concerns
  
  

It can also be helpful to make sure your child is well-rested. Little ones, in particular, can be fussy and uncomfortable during doctor’s visits if they’re tired. Planning for exams first thing in the morning or after naps is often helpful for some parents.

Schedule your child’s well-child care exam at Valley of the Sun Pediatrics today. Request an appointment online or over the phone with either office location.