Make the Most of Your Child’s Well Visit | Corwell Health

It’s time for your child to see the pediatrician again, perhaps for an annual visit.

How can you make the most of your visit?

“I want parents to ask me questions, lots of questions,” Richard Wermeller, MDInternal Medicine and Pediatrics at Corewell Health of Southeast Michigan. “I love a parent who has finished his homework and is ready.”

What those questions might be, Dr. Wehrmiller said, varies depending on your child’s age and stage of development.

“All my body for your child is working to build a bridge for the next visit,” he said. “We’ll talk about what to expect before the next visit, what to look for, and this applies to any age.”

Here are some questions parents might consider asking.

Is my child’s development on the right track?

During lactation, visits are frequent, from weeks to months. Providers screen children for gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and social and emotional milestones as they get older.

“In that first year, it’s all about development, diet, and how they progress,” said Dr. Weiermiller. “As the child gets older, we talk about exercise and diet, and social progress.”

After infancy, he said, we see children annually.

Zeina Al-Rifai, MDMD, MD, in Pediatrics and Obesity at Corewell Health in Southeast Michigan, agreed that the questions vary depending on the age of the child.

She said pediatricians can address any delays during these visits.

“For growth, we plot weight and height percentiles, take head measurements up to age two, and then BMI charts from two years onwards,” said Dr. Al-Refai.

Dr. Al-Refai, like most pediatricians, uses Charts of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) percentile growth and development.

They refer to the World Health Organization Standard Growth Charts for children under two years of age. The CDC’s growth reference charts apply to children ages 2 to 19.

Are immunizations safe and when should my child get them?

“Vaccinations are important because a lot of our work as pediatricians is disease prevention,” said Dr. Al-Refai. “We hear more concerns these days – bring your concerns to your pediatrician to discuss.”

She is using CDC charts for immunization schedules.

She said there was a great deal of misinformation out there and we could talk about that.

“I find that most of the time, when parents learn more facts, they are happy to vaccinate their children,” said Dr. Al-Refai.

“Often the concerns I hear from parents about immunizations are emotional rather than realistic,” said Dr. Wermiller.

He recommends talking to your pediatrician about your concerns.

“A lot of parents need the information,” he said. “We may be able to adjust the schedule for your child’s vaccinations if you don’t want them all at once or wait until the child is older, but it is important that your children get them.”

What tests should my child have?

Vision displays begin around age 3 or 4 when children are able to articulate what they see. Hearing checks begin around the age of four.

“As the kids get older, we do more shows,” said Dr. Al-Refai.

These may include academic, attention and mental health checks.

“We used to do mental health screenings as needed, starting at the age of 12, but over the last few years, with the pandemic isolating, we’re screening all kids,” she said.

Older children may not always talk openly and honestly about their suicidal feelings or thoughts when parents are present.

“I talk to the older child directly so he can feel his feelings,” said Dr. Wermelier.

We use a questionnaire to assess mental health, Dr. Al-Refai said, and many children may have symptoms that appear on the questionnaire, but their parents may not be aware of it.

“It is important for the pediatrician to establish a good relationship with the child and to build trust. I often ask parents to step out of the room when I ask the child questions about their feelings,” she said.

Meanwhile, it’s important for parents to understand that they can’t always solve their children’s problems for them — and they shouldn’t try, said Dr. Al-Rifai.

“Allowing the child to deal with his problems and deal with them on his own teaches critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” she said.

How much screen time is it?

With the increasing popularity of screens – cell phones, tablets and laptops – parents are increasingly asking pediatricians about screen time.

“Our world is based on screens,” said Dr. Weiermiller. “Even kids are reaching out for Mama’s phone. It may be impossible to get kids away from screens, but we can modify their use and encourage other activities.”

He said parents could gain more with distraction than by cutting screens out entirely.

His advice includes signing kids up for sports and other activities and teaching good screen habits rather than cutting screens out entirely.

“Sleep is important for a growing child, so parents should keep screens out of the bedroom,” said Dr. Al-Refai.

She said to keep kids away from tablets and phones at least an hour before bedtime.

How can I best prepare for my child’s annual visit?

Both doctors encourage parents to prepare questions before the visit.

“We call it proactive guidance,” said Dr. Al-Rifai. “I ask the parents questions they might have, and then we talk about upcoming milestones, how to reinforce those milestones, and the kinds of things to watch for as their child develops.”

Specific questions are different for each child and for different ages and stages of development.

“When parents are ready to answer their questions, we can make the most of your time with the doctor,” said Dr. Weiermiller.