Summer is the Time for Physicals!

Summer is here, and now is the perfect time to schedule those annual physicals and checkups. Kids are out of school, and pediatric offices are not swamped with sick children. Many people don’t think about children getting physicals once they have gotten all their immunizations; however, children are constantly growing and changing rapidly, and they really need a physical every year or two. Children who participate in sports, camps, and other physical activities must have an annual sports physical evaluation. Some schools also require an annual physical. Sports and camp physicals are best done as part of a routine checkup. At these exams we look for a lot of problems and issues affecting children, anticipate upcoming issues, and discuss ways to keep children safe and healthy. At these checkups we:

• Assess growth and physical development and look for any problems
• Discuss nutrition, activity level, and fitness
• Discuss social, emotional, behavioral, and academic development and issues
• Check hearing and vision
• Check for high blood pressure, diabetes, and other diseases
• Do blood and urine tests
• Discuss safety issues
• Provide any needed immunizations
• Update treatment of any chronic medical conditions
• Anticipate problems so that children can remain healthy, safe, and strong

Routine well-child physicals are one of the best ways to keep kids healthy, and are required for participation in sports or other physically demanding activities. Schedule your child’s physical early and avoid the back-to-school rush in August!