The Importance Of Well Child Care Visits

Well-child care visits play an important role in keeping kids healthy. Seeing your child's pediatric providers regularly allows the doctor to monitor your child’s overall health and wellness and make individualized recommendations based on the specific needs of your child. Well-visits are also important for ensuring kids are up to date with vaccinations and immunizations. Dr. Amy Dressel, Kim Gardner FNP, and Lauren Hopson PNP are skilled and caring pediatric providers at Glacier Pediatrics in Juneau, AK, offering well-visits and other health care services for kids.

Well Visits for Children

A well-care child visit is a health checkup with the pediatric team. Babies and toddlers usually need a well-visit every few weeks to months, depending on age. Older kids only need to schedule a well-visit once per year. The experienced pediatric providers at our Juneau, AK, pediatric office can determine how often your child should come in for a well-visit.

Well-child care visits typically include a physical exam, as well as a review of the child’s personal and family medical histories. The medical history review is a check of current or past health issues, such as allergies, medications, or medical conditions. The physical exam includes a check of things like height, weight, blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate.

There are many reasons why well-child care visits are important. They promote better health for kids by giving the team an opportunity to monitor overall health, growth, and development. When kids see their providers regularly, potential health concerns can be identified and treated early on before they have a chance to become more serious. Well-visits also make it easy to stay up to date with vaccinations and immunizations.

Vaccinations & Immunizations

Vaccines are a highly effective way to keep kids healthy and safeguard against certain illnesses and diseases. Vaccination protects children by helping their bodies build up immunity. By becoming immune to certain diseases and illnesses, kids do not contract or spread them. Not only does it keep children with immunization safe and healthy, but it also protects others around them who might not be candidates for vaccination due to a weak immune system.

At Glacier Pediatrics, we follow the vaccination and immunization schedule developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Our knowledgeable pediatric staff can help ensure your kids remain on schedule with their immunizations.

Scheduling regular well-child care visits is an effective way to keep your children healthy. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Amy Dressel, Kim Gardner FNP, and Lauren Hopson PNP, the skilled pediatric team at our office in Juneau, AK, call Glacier Pediatrics at (907) 586-1542.