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4 Questions to Ask Your Doctor at a Well-Child Exam
As your child grows up, you can expect to take them to a well-child exam at least once a year at Valencia Pediatrics in Victorville, California. Our team does most of the work at these exams, but you can get more out of your time by bringing along any questions you have about your child.
Preparing questions beforehand helps you understand and support your child’s healthy growth and development at home. If you’re unsure what to ask at their well-child exam, these four questions, recommended by pediatricians Rainilda Valencia, MD, and Deepika Saini, MD, FAAP, will get you started.
Why prepare well-child exam questions?
Well-child exams are exciting developmental milestones, but they can also feel overwhelming for parents. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, feel unsure about medical terms, or hesitate to speak up during the visit.
Bringing questions with you to the exam makes it easier to stay on track and learn everything you need to help your child. Our team always allows time for you to ask questions.
What to ask at well-child exams
Your questions about your child are personal and vary depending on their age and situation. These four general questions help you understand your child’s needs and formulate further questions.
1. Is my child’s development on track?
We measure several different aspects of your child’s general development at a well-child exam. These include:
- Height
- Weight
- Physical strength
- Coordination
- Communication skills
- Cognitive skills
- Expected developmental milestones
What we measure and what we look for at the exam depends on your child’s age. In general, we compare aspects such as your child’s physical and overall growth to the benchmarks we expect from an average child at their age.
We want you to understand where your child stands developmentally after each exam, and we welcome any questions.
2. Is this something I should be concerned about?
Whether your child is your first or your fifth, it’s only natural to have concerns as they grow. You may wonder about anything from a lump on their skin to their speaking patterns.
If you’re worried that something is different or unusual about your child, bring it up at their exam. These questions also help us fully evaluate your child. You know them better than anyone, and not everything potentially concerning is immediately visible at an exam.
We let you know if your concern warrants further investigation, along with the next steps.
3. How can I keep my child healthy and safe?
What’s safe and healthy changes for your child as they grow. For very young children, you might want to know how to keep them safe during bathtime or in the car, when to transition from a crib to a bed, and when and how to introduce solid foods.
As infants and toddlers grow into children and adolescents, you might start to wonder how to keep them active and feed them a balanced diet that even a picky eater enjoys. You may question your child’s screen time, how long to let them be unsupervised, and whether to be concerned about their peer influences.
By asking questions about your child’s health and safety, we can make age-appropriate recommendations and address potential problems before they become dangerous to your child.
4. What milestones can I expect next as my child grows?
Our well-child exam looks at your child’s current developmental benchmarks. By asking what you can expect from your child in the coming months and year, we can let you know what to look forward to.
Discussing upcoming milestones makes it easier to track your child’s development and let our team know right away if something seems off. It also actively involves you in your child’s growth and makes it easy to celebrate success together.
Is your child due for a well-child exam? Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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