No matter what grade your child is about to enter, there’s always a back-to-school checklist of to-dos. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends visiting your family’s pediatrician for an annual wellness exam and sports physical, if necessary.

Within a pediatric or family medical practice, care is provided continuously over a long period of time so that as your child ages and develops, their care is never interrupted. Adolescence, for example, is a time when vital changes are taking place; seeing the pediatrician is important during the transition into puberty.

Build your child’s medical history

When you have a long-term history with your pediatrician, it allows them to follow your child’s progress and development over time. This helps detect emerging problems and stay informed about any new details of the patient’s history, like past illnesses or injuries, and immunization records.

A school entry form will generally include a check box asking whether all vaccinations are up-to-date, requiring you to remember whether or not they are. Your pediatrician will have accurate records to assist you in filling out these forms.

Get your child a thorough exam

Back-to-school check-ups, as they are commonly called, are often the only visit kids and teenagers have with their pediatrician every year. The annual physical gives the pediatrician a chance to provide the child with a thorough physical exam that addresses any emotional, developmental, or social concerns.

In addition to monitoring heart and blood pressure and testing for diabetes, pediatricians use this annual visit to discuss diet and exercise options, provide pediatric vision screenings, and test for cholesterol and anemia. It’s also a good chance to address important questions or concerns you have as a parent, especially with teenagers.

Check if it’s safe to participate in extracurricular activities

The AAP encourages all children to get annual sports physicals, whether or not one is required for them to participate in a team or extracurricular activity, ideally scheduled at the same time as the annual wellness exam.

The sports physical is an opportunity to address exercise-specific issues, including injuries, nutrition, training, exercise programs, and even attitudes toward sports participation.

Your pediatrician can also advise your child if they are already involved in an exercise and training program. Overuse and overtraining injuries continue to be huge problems among young people.

If you already have a medical eligibility form from your child’s sport or activity, bring it to your annual wellness exam. Most organizations send forms home for athletes before the season begins.
Check with the governing body of your child’s sport or activity.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics