According to the Center for Disease Control, Americans use preventative services like annual physicals at about half of the recommended rate. Here are 5 good reasons why you should prioritize preventative care for your child and yourself:
- Prevent Serious Health Problems from Arising
Benjamin Franklin was on the right track when he famously said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Annual physicals are imperative in detecting vision and hearing problems in young children. Additionally, screening children for their body mass index can inform parents if any adjustments to their child’s diet are necessary in order to reduce health problems later as adults.
- Strengthen the Doctor-Patient Relationship
Visiting your pediatrician for your routine physical allows you to build a relationship with your doctor, and receive more personalized care. When a doctor sees a patient regularly, she becomes better informed about the patient’s health issues and better able to detect patterns and symptoms. Many children also experience anxiety towards doctors and medical appointments. Giving your child the opportunity to build a relationship with his or her doctor reduces the anxiety surrounding appointments, and may even be something they look forward to!
- Build a Medical History
Seeing your doctor every year increases quality of care and allows you to build your medical history. Your child’s chart will be updated during each annual physical and include anything out of the ordinary, as well as height and weight data, and vaccinations received. This allows doctors and parents to observe the child’s health longitudinally from infancy to adulthood.
- Stay Up to Date on Vaccinations
According to the Office of the Surgeon General’s National Prevention Strategy, 42,000 deaths per year are prevented among children who receive recommended childhood vaccines. These vaccinations can easily be administered at your child’s annual physical.
- Teach Your Child Healthy Lifestyle Practices
Sometimes, kids just want to hear it from someone besides mom or dad. While parents are the main points of contact for teaching their kids healthy habits, a doctor can be a knowledgeable authority that your child looks to for health-related information, or to back up the healthy habits that you are already instilling in your child.
Mountainland Pediatrics is your family’s medical home. Have you scheduled your child’s annual physical yet? Call us today to make an appointment!
