Add a pediatric well-child visit to your back-to-school checklist

School supplies are hitting the stores, and before we know it, back-to-school will be here.

Now’s a good time to make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician to get school and sports physicals, update vaccinations and review your child’s overall health.

These visits, often called well-child appointments, are also a chance to talk to your child’s pediatrician about the support your child may need for the upcoming school year.

“We’re doing more than just a physical exam,” says Brian Norwood, M.D., a pediatrician at Sentara Pediatric Physicians in Virginia Beach, Va. “Well-child visits provide an opportunity to track growth and development and screen for potential medical problems. We also talk to parents and children about any concerns related to their physical, emotional and social development.”

School and sports physicals

Check with your child’s school to determine if they need a physical. School physicals focus on:

• Mental health
• Medical history and vital signs
• Screening tests for hearing and vision
• Social wellbeing
• Vaccinations

Some children may also need a sports physical to determine their eligibility to play school sports. Sports physicals include:

• Completion of a Preparticipation Physical Evaluation (PPE) form provided by the school
• Physical exam
• Review the history of any past injuries or medical conditions that may impact their play

Your pediatrician will also review safety measures with you and your child to prevent sports injuries, such as:

• Always use proper equipment – including during practice
• Know the signs of a concussion
• Warm-up and stretch before games and cool down after games

Vaccination updates

“One of the most important reasons for well-child visits is to ensure your child’s vaccinations are current. Providing routine vaccinations is arguably one of the most important things we can do to protect our children,” says Norwood.

Vaccinations protect children from potentially life-threatening diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, polio, whooping cough and diphtheria. These diseases can cause severe health issues, long-term complications, or even death.

Older children should also receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series, which protects them against six different types of cancer. The HPV vaccine series is required in Virginia for children entering seventh grade in public or private schools.

“Most people associate HPV with cervical cancer in women, but it causes more cases of oropharyngeal (mouth and throat cancer) in men and women,” explains Norwood. “Currently, 25 percent of the adult population is infected with this virus. We can prevent future generations from developing HPV and these cancers.”

Many schools require specific vaccinations before a child can enroll or start their next school year. Vaccinations help prevent outbreaks that can spread quickly in communities like schools where children are in close contact.

By reducing the spread of these dangerous diseases, vaccinating a large percentage of the population also creates herd immunity, which helps protect those who can’t be vaccinated, such as infants, people with certain medical conditions and the immunocompromised.

Norwood assures parents that vaccines are rigorously tested to ensure they are safe and effective for children.

“There are many myths and misconceptions about childhood vaccinations, so I encourage parents to talk to their pediatrician about any of their concerns,” Norwood advises.

Creating a healthy tradition

Back-to-school appointments teach children from a young age to take care of their health and to trust their healthcare team.

“Routine physicals build a comprehensive medical history to help track your child’s health and wellness over time, and this history allows us to identify subtle signs of problems at an early stage,” says Norwood.

Prepare for your child’s back-to-school appointment:

1. Bring your child’s updated vaccination records if they’ve been vaccinated somewhere other than their pediatrician’s office
2. Bring your child’s school’s required physical forms (and sports physical forms if needed)
3. Get familiar with state vaccination requirements (Virginia and North Carolina school vaccination requirements are available online.)

Sentara Pediatric Physicians has a team of board-certified pediatricians ready to work with you to ensure your child gets the care they need before heading to the classroom. Schedule your child’s back-to-school pediatric appointment online or by phone.