Children grow up so fast. Well child visits are an important part of your child’s routine health supervision. Yearly well checks throughout childhood give parents an opportunity to raise concerns or ask any questions about behavior, sleep patterns, growth and nutrition, educational development and more. Jenny Brady, MSN, CPNP, has 23 years of experience in hospital and clinical settings treating a wide variety of pediatric health issues and feels fortunate to be able to bring her knowledge and skills to the New Kent community. 

What to Expect at Your Child’s Well Visit

At the very first visit and every well child check thereafter, we will measure and record the height and weight of your child. We will use these measurements to track their growth on clinical growth charts. Kids grow at their own rate and there are numerous genetic and environmental factors that contribute to growth. Short, tall, big and small – healthy kids come in all sizes and shapes. 

We will perform other routine exams at each well check to ensure your child is healthy including:

• Vision screening
• Hearing screening
• Routine laboratory screenings 
• Urinalysis
• Physical exam
• Blood pressure
• Necessary immunizations

These screenings are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. They provide a baseline level of information on the overall health of your child. 

Keeping Your Child Healthy

As pediatric health care providers, we love to see your child growing and thriving in their educational and home environment. New Kent Pediatrics offers a few tips on how to keep your children as healthy as possible, such as:

• Eating breakfast daily, even if it is a small portion
• Maintaining a well-balanced diet to include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables at meals and snack time will help your child get the proper nutrients
• Regular exercise and playtime will help your child build endurance
• Limiting screen time including TV, tablets and devices
• Limiting candy, sodas and juice
• Getting plenty of rest during nap times and nighttime with regular bedtime routines
• Taking good care of your little one’s teeth by brushing teeth twice daily

Nutrition

Another important component of well child care is to discuss nutrition information with you so that you can help your child grow and thrive to their best potential. At New Kent Pediatrics, we will give you information on healthy, well balanced diets that are enriched with calcium and other vitamins that are important for growth. We also prefer to avoid sugary drinks as much as possible and replace them with water and milk.  

Childhood Safety

At each well check, we will discuss safety measures that are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to help keep your child safe at home. As your child grows and develops she will become curious about her surroundings. As a parent or caregiver, you play a vital role in protecting and preventing children from injuries. Some common and preventable childhood injuries include:

• Burn prevention – use safe cooking practices at home and never leave a stove or your child unattended in the kitchen. Set the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees Farhenheit so that you can protect your child from scalding himself
• Poison prevention – Keep medicine and toxic chemicals, cleaning products and detergents locked away from active curious children. Call Poison Control if you think your child has ingested anything poisonous at 1-800-222-1222
• Drowning prevention – never leave your child unattended in the bathtub, or near a pool or body of water. Teach your child the basics of swimming as soon as possible 
• Bicycle safety – make sure your child always wears a properly-fitted helmet when riding a bike and also as a passenger on your bike
• Fall prevention – block staircases off with childproof baby gates so your does not accidentally fall down the stairs
• Buckle up – place your child in an age appropriate car seat and booster seat at all times 

Sports and School Physicals

New Kent Pediatrics is pleased to offer sports and school physicals. A current school physical and up-to-date immunization records are required for your child to enter public or private school. The school physical will contain medical instructions if your child has special health requirements such as a life threatening food allergy or asthma. 

Most middle school and high schools require a sports physical for your child to participate in school sporting events. Sports physicals are an important assessment to help determine if your child has any underlying health issues that might prevent him from playing a sport safely. A sports physical will document the following health conditions: 

• Previous strains, sprains or stress fractures
• Prior concussions
• Heat related illness
• Asthma or exercise induced asthma
• Irregular heartbeat
• Flexibility
• Muscle strength
• Scoliosis screening
• List of current medications, prescription and over the counter