Does my kiddo need a well-child visit this year?

Here are 5 reasons not to postpone the routine appointment.

Well-child visits address physical and mental health. Your child feels unstoppable physically? That's cause for celebration! While evaluating their physical health is one goal of a well-child visit, it's just a piece of ensuring their overall well-being. The routine visit also is an opportunity to discuss your child's development and age-appropriate concerns. Think sleeping and eating habits, immunizations, social issues, school progress, and anxiety and depression.

With disruptions from COVID-19 increasing rates of mental health issues, including among kids, it's especially important right now to address all aspects of your child's health: physical, mental and emotional. A well-child exam can help start the conversation. Plus, if your child needs a physical for school, sports or camp, a well-child visit covers those requirements, too.

Well-child visits take place in a safe environment. If you're hesitant to schedule an exam for your child because of COVID-19, we understand. We also want you to know that your safety is our top priority. We are taking extraordinary precautions to stop the risk of COVID-19 spread and keep you and everyone you love healthy. Our efforts include making face coverings mandatory in our facilities, enforcing social distancing, screening all patients upon their arrival, offering new contactless check-in options, designating separate treatment areas for COVID-19-positive patients and more.

Well-child visits help maintain your child's health. While we wait for a COVID-19 vaccine, it's essential to keep your family current on immunizations that are available. A well-child visit is an ideal time to ensure they're up to date, ward off future problems and limit outbreaks of other preventable diseases

Well-child visits are (usually) covered by insurance. You'll want to check with your specific insurance provider, but most companies cover an annual well-child visit. This makes the appointment an affordable way to address and avoid health issues.

Well-child visits are easy to schedule. A lot of things have changed. One that hasn't? Juggling work, family and everything in between. That's why we've made it simple to schedule well-child visits. If you're a MyChart user, simply log in and request an appointment. Otherwise, you can reach us at (608) 782-7300.