In 2019, we learned some shocking statistics about children’s doctor visits. Studies confirmed that one-third of American parents were skipping these visits for various socioeconomic reasons. But experts believe that missing your child’s healthcare appointment can be detrimental to that child’s well-being.
On the other hand, research has found that hospitals often neglect communicating with such parents and don’t remind them of their neglectful behavior. That’s why we suggest parents take matters into their hands and learn why it’s never okay to miss a child’s medical checkup. We shall discuss several reasons why keeping your child’s appointment can save your child a lot of whole health trouble.
Reasons to bring your child to visit a doctor
Why are health visits important for your children? You might have guessed some reasons of your own by now. Of course, missing your child’s doctor visits can prevent you from knowing if the child suffers from a medical condition. This decline became more apparent in 2020 because of the pandemic, as 70-80 percent of children started to miss their prescheduled pediatric appointments.
Missing these visits can’t help your child, and there are some why parents should never even consider skipping an appointment. It seems proper to mention these reasons to educate parents about the importance of doctor visits. So, here’s what you need to know:
- Discover any birth injury
This phenomenon afflicts every 7 out of 1,000 American newborns each year. Experts have defined a birth injury as a condition caused by the negligence of healthcare practitioners during delivery. Their negligence can result in the doctor pulling on the baby’s head or neck too hard. These injuries often lead to the child suffering from developmental issues. However, checking in with your doctor helps you find the requisite medical attention for your newborn so they may grow healthily.
- Physical exams are necessary
Aside from catching a birth injury, physical examinations can help doctors detect other hard-to-find problems with a child. Everything from lumps and bumps to unusual cardiovascular palpitations – a skilled doctor can detect if there’s anything wrong with the newborn’s well-being. Similarly, doctors can detect problems such as cavities, hearing loss, or high blood pressure.
- Disease prevention is important
Regularly visiting healthcare professionals can protect children from different ailments. Don’t forget that children’s frequency of receiving a complete medical examination decreases as they age. So, an infant must get examined annually. When it comes to wellness visits – in which doctors ensure your newborn is growing healthily – experts recommend seven of them between the ages of 1 and 4. These visits are important for disease prevention among your kids and their growth.
- Doctors evaluate children’s growth
Is your child growing properly and behaving like other kids of the same age? Missing a doctor’s visit won’t help you find the answer! Many kids worldwide aren’t growing well because of several issues, such as malnutrition. Even in the USA, 1 in 8 children is malnourished due to hunger. Doctors, in your case, may discover a medical reason behind your child’s slow growth. Moreover, these visits can help healthcare practitioners evaluate the mental health of your newborns via examination.
- Children’s development is assessed
A wellness visit also allows your doctor to examine your newborn’s growth. For instance, the professional will notice the child’s height, weight, and other metrics. These metrics shall dictate if your newborn is healthy or a person with compromised well-being. Remember what we discussed about birth injuries and how they manifest themselves with developmental issues. Doctors may also check the baby’s vision, hearing, speech, and other senses to ensure they’re developing fine.
- Parents can raise concerns
It’s natural for parents to be concerned about their children’s well-being. A survey shows that some 20% of parents worry about their kids’ mental health. A doctor’s visit seems like the right time to bring these concerns to a professional’s attention and address your child’s health issues. Or, bringing your children to clinics can help you get answers to other questions you might want to ask a doctor. So, write down these questions so you can ask the doctor on the next visit.
- Your kids stay immunized
The pandemic should’ve made you realize the importance of vaccinating and protecting kids from dangerous outbreaks. Mumps and measles are common infections that can be dangerous for your child. Vaccinations make your children a lot less vulnerable to these outbreaks. Hence, you can protect the well-being of your children by never missing a single doctor visit with them.
- Follow-ups can’t be ignored
Studies have shown that children missing doctor visits are vulnerable to declining health because of the lack of follow-ups. It’s important to visit the doctor to maintain the child’s health after making an appointment. A missed appointment doesn’t just harm the welfare of your child but also makes other patients wait longer than they should. So, missing your child’s doctor visit may bring the child to the verge of disease. That’s why follow-ups shouldn’t be ignored for the child’s health.
- Children get suitable screenings
In these doctor visits, your children can get screened for some of the most common problems found with kids these days. For instance, depression affects over 3% of American children. But about one-third of kids in the world are suffering from lead poisoning. Your doctor can test your child for an ailment like these. Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended different tests for children, such as autism, cholesterol, vision or hearing loss, and other conditions.
- Doctors handle puberty issues
Children might seem confused about puberty and related problems when they grow older. Getting them to visit a doctor can save parents some embarrassing questions and give kids the guidance they need. Teenagers aren’t often comfortable discussing adult issues with their parents. So, another reason why you shouldn’t miss your child’s doctor visit is to allow them to address puberty-related concerns with a medical expert. It’s a win-win situation for both of you.
Conclusion
Staying on top of your kid’s wellness visits is essential to ensure they grow into healthy adults. You can get them vaccinated on time and spot developmental issues early on to begin treatment. So never skip an appointment.