The Importance of a Well-Child Exam

When you imagine visiting the pediatrician with your child, you might think of your child having symptoms of an illness. Board-certified pediatrician Rainilda Valencia, MD, and our team are here for your child when they get sick, but it’s just as important to take your healthy child to well-child exams at Valencia Pediatrics in Victorville, California.

Attending well-child exams comes with a significant number of health and developmental benefits to your child. Keep reading to learn more about why getting well-child exams is extremely important.

Why is getting a well-child exam important?

Well-child exams are an important part of preventative health care for infants, children, and adolescents under age 21. You can expect your child to get the following benefits:

Monitoring your child’s development

At well-child visits, Dr. Valencia, Micaela Marin-Tucker, PA-C, and Megan Reynolds, C-PNP, monitor your child’s overall growth and development. This includes their physical growth and health as well as monitoring whether they’re meeting their developmental milestones.

Catching potential problems early

Seeing your child regularly allows our team to catch any potential health issues early, which makes it easier to prevent the health issue or offer treatment quickly. These visits also allow us to get to know your child well, which makes it easier for our team to observe changes in their physical development or behavior.

Allowing you to ask questions

At well-child visits, you’ll have the opportunity to ask Dr. Valencia questions and raise any concerns you have regarding your child. Our providers help you feel confident in keeping your child safe, preventing illness, and supporting your child in living a healthy lifestyle so they maximize their potential and quality of life.

Receiving vaccinations

Attending well-child exams makes it easy to keep your child up to date on vaccinations. Our team can administer any vaccines your child is due for right at the appointment.

What are the potential problems if my child misses their well-child exam?

It can be tempting to skip well-child exams if your child appears healthy, but doing so comes with risks. By having your child attend all recommended visits, you help ensure they remain healthy and don’t develop any health problems or developmental delays down the road that could have been more easily treated or prevented if caught earlier.

Skipping visits also puts your child at risk for falling behind on vaccinations, which not only makes them more likely to catch potentially dangerous illnesses, but it can jeopardize their ability to attend school. Missing these critical appointments can also make it harder for Dr. Valencia to approve your child’s participation in sports.

When should my child get a well-child exam?

Dr. Valencia recommends most infants and toddlers attend a well-child exam every few months, while older children can come in annually. Our team lets you know if they recommend your child come in for a well-child exam more frequently than our usual guidelines.

Well-child exams take place with our compassionate and experienced team members. During the appointment, they review your child’s medical history, examine your child, perform health and developmental screenings, administer any vaccinations due, and answer any questions you have.

If your child is due for a well-child exam, there’s no time like the present to get it scheduled. Call Valencia Pediatrics to make your child’s appointment today.