Well-Child Exams
Many parents only schedule a visit to a
pediatrician or
family practitioner when their child is ill, injured or needs an immunization, but it's important for your children to see a provider regularly to help them stay healthy.
Most insurance plans cover well-child exams, as they are widely recognized as one of the most important steps parents can take for their child’s health. Check with your insurance carrier for specifics to your plan.
Why are Well-Child Exams Important?
The well-child visit is an opportunity for the doctor to both examine the child and teach the parents. The doctor can compare the child's development to previous visits and also with national baselines for child growth and development. The visit is also a chance to talk to parents about safety issues, nutrition and advances in medicine that may benefit the child.
Well-child exam visits allow providers to:
- Come to know your child as an individual. He or she can anticipate and explain how treatments and medicines will affect your child's activities and development.
- Monitor the medicines your child is prescribed to help avoid situations where two medicines will not work well when taken together.
- Know your child's medical history and explain it to any specialists your child may need to see. A common medical history should be kept in one place and reviewed before any treatment is started.
- Save time and effort by telling specialists if medical tests have already been performed.
- Learn your family medical history, which can help the doctor find the best treatment when your child has health problems.
- Keep track of vaccinations, allergies and lab results. He or she can tell specialists what they need to know. Learn more about Endeavor Health Medical Group's vaccination policy.
- Monitor your child's growth, development and well-being through regular tests and checkups.
Preparing for Your Child's Appointment
To help your
Swedish Hospital pediatrician or nurse practitioner become familiar with your child's medical history, it is helpful to bring copies of records to the first appointment, including:
- Growth curves
- Screening records (such as lead testing)
- Vaccine records
If your child is medically complex, has specific health issues or takes chronic medication, your Swedish Covenant Health provider will need the most recent consultant notes from their current pediatrician.
Contact Us
If you would like to talk to a representative about your primary care options, please call
773-878-3627.
