It doesn’t matter that a child in appearance is in good health; Periodic appointments with the pediatrician are important as a measure of assessment, prevention, finding of possible pathologies and carrying out diagnoses and treatments.
Colds, diarrhea, colic, respiratory and digestive difficulties, abdominal pain, fractures … There are many reasons why parents go with their children to emergencies or pediatric consultations, related to diseases, conditions, intoxications, blows or wounds, among other reasons.
But do they have the same disposition when the child is healthy? Some Papitos expect their children to have some discomfort or suffer a fall to go to the doctor. And although it is not necessary to request appointments every now and then, it is necessary to attend periodic checks to determine your state of health.
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It is the best alternative to ensure the healthy growth and development of the child, but also to learn about recommendations on how to prevent disease, lean towards a lifestyle that promotes the well-being of children and, eventually, discover pathologies and do the comprehensive monitoring of chronic diseases.
“Pediatric controls are important because they help us prevent diseases in children by assessing them and taking an early approach in the face of any alteration in their health,” says Sandra Pabón *, a pediatrician at the Sanitas University Foundation.
Although pediatric appointments are essential in all stages of childhood or adolescence, they are more peremptory in infants and during the first years of life, when growth is constant and rapid changes in their development are manifested, which must be supervised by your pediatricians.
At each check-up, the specialist will give your child a complete physical examination. Up to approximately 6 months of age, it will assess aspects such as weight gain, height increase, psychomotor development, head circumference, vision, hearing, breastfeeding and the introduction of complementary feeding, compliance with the vaccination scheme and prevention and treatment. of diseases, among others.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that the first visit to the pediatrician after birth be made within the next 3 to 5 days., And then, if something extraordinary does not happen, a month, at 2, 4, 6, 9 months and when he turns the year.
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Subsequently, according to the AAP, it is recommended that you take him to appointments at 15 and 18 months, 2 and 2 and a half years; from now on, every year until his adolescence. Keep in mind that this scheme is not a straitjacket and that the regularity with which they attend will depend on your child’s health condition, their particular needs, and the decisions of the treating physician.
Controls are useful because they cover more than one state of health and monitoring related to your child’s growth and development, taking into account advances and setbacks. In addition, they become social spaces to learn about prevention, nutrition and safety guidelines in the home and school.
It is also a great opportunity to establish a direct and, above all, trusting relationship between the pediatrician, you and your child, in order to work in a coordinated way for the optimal physical, mental and social well-being of your little one.
This confidence and clarity allow the pediatrician to know the personal and family history, which will make it easier for him to give a more accurate diagnosis after a meticulous examination. Dr. Pabón states that “in pediatric controls, growth, development, and eating and sleep patterns are assessed.”
In addition, it can include taking vital signs, auscultation, heart sounds, assessment of different body systems, reflexes, formulation of laboratory tests, examinations and authorization of appointments with specialists in areas such as optometry, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology or dentistry. , recommendations on physical activity and accident prevention, for example.
The memory is treacherous, and for this reason it is essential that you write down the questions and doubts you have, and without grief or fear, find out with the pediatrician everything you want to know about the health and general well-being of your little one.
* www.sandrapabonpediatra.com.co