When you have children, you are responsible for keeping them healthy. One important part of this is bringing them to their doctor’s appointments. Whether they just need their annual exam or have something that needs to be addressed, healthcare access is extremely important for children. You should visit your doctor at least once a year. Here is why it is so important to keep up with your child’s doctor’s appointments.

Address Your Concerns

As a parent, you know your child better than anybody else. You know when things aren’t quite right. You also notice changes that could be problems. However, unless you are also a doctor, you can’t diagnose or treat the problems that arise. This is why it is so important that your child sees their doctor. Wellness exams or scheduled appointments provide an opportunity for you to address any concerns you or your child might have. The doctor can examine them and determine the best way to treat them. Some issues might require specialist help, so your doctor can refer you. Things like joint pain might seem minor, but could be an issue that needs to be addressed. 300,000 children in the United States suffer from juvenile arthritis. Without bringing concerns to the doctor, disorders like this can be missed.

Catch Problems Early

If your child gets yearly exams, the doctor will be familiar with their body and its development. This means that the doctor can catch problems that you might not realize are there. These could be both minor and life-threatening issues. In 2020, approximately 16,850 children between the ages of 0 to 19 were diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Regular doctor’s appointments can help the doctor catch something like this quickly in your own child. If problems are caught early on, it is much easier to treat them. By getting regular physical exams, your child’s health will be thoroughly tracked and the doctor can treat any issues before they become dangerous.

Vaccines

Vaccines are an essential part of keeping your child healthy. While you might be able to get some vaccines in other places, the vast majority of them will be administered in your child’s doctor’s office. If you miss your appointments, you miss the opportunity to get these vaccines at the appropriate time. Often, they will be part of the yearly exam. If you keep up with your child’s scheduled doctor’s appointments, they will be able to easily get the vaccines they need. Without them, your child will be at risk of catching otherwise avoidable illnesses.

School Requirements

Schools often require health information about their students. This is especially true for athletic programs, which require yearly physicals for all of their student-athletes. If your child doesn’t go to all of your doctor’s appointments, they may not have a recent enough physical. This could bar them from participating in school sports. It could also potentially prevent them from doing other things through the school. So, if you want your child to get the most out of their education, you should also make sure that you keep up with their doctor’s appointments.

Keeping up with your child’s healthcare is extremely important. Even if they are generally healthy, they need to see their doctor at least once a year. These appointments are an opportunity for you and your child to address health issues, get answers to any questions, and make sure that they are growing normally. Skipping appointments can not only have health consequences, but it can keep your child from social opportunities as well. So make sure that you keep up with their appointments.