What is pediatric care?
Pediatric care refers to the age-specific care that physicians give to babies, children, and adolescents. At Redwood Family Health Center, we prioritize the needs of families and are proud to offer excellent pediatric care for kids of all ages, starting shortly after birth.
Your child’s initial visit includes a comprehensive physical exam, family medical history, and personal medical history review of your child’s health. With all of this information in hand, your child’s physician can give them friendly, personalized care at every visit thereafter.
Pediatric care includes a combination of routine preventive care and as-needed sick visits. Your child’s physician can answer all of your questions and offer detailed advice for keeping your child healthy at home.
Which pediatric care services does my child need?
At Redwood Family Health Center, we offer a comprehensive variety of age-specific services that your child may need at any point. Every child is different, and our team can identify and meet your child’s unique needs and health requirements.
The lengthy list of pediatric care services that you can access for your child as they grow and develop includes:
- Immunizations
- Laboratory tests
- Sick visits
- Injury visits
- Behavioral healthcare
- School and sports physicals
- Well-child exams
- Newborn care
- Skin care
- Stitches and other care for minor injuries
- Asthma and other chronic condition management
- Vision screenings
- Hearing screenings
- Dietary and nutritional guidance
Your child’s physician tracks their development over time with these regular visits and can quickly identify areas of development where your child might be behind. We can also help you compare your child’s measurements with other children of the same age.
While most well-child visits last only about 30 minutes, our team always reserves some extra time if you need it. You have the opportunity to ask questions and receive clear answers, and report any unusual changes or concerns.
When should I bring my child in for a pediatric care visit?
You should bring your child in whenever you have concerns with their physical or behavioral health. Sick visits and injury visits serve the clear purpose of improving your child’s health when there’s an issue, but they aren’t the only times you should be bringing your child in for pediatric care.
For routine well-child care visits, you should follow this schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics:
- One month
- Two months
- Four months
- Six months
- Nine months
- One year
- 15 months
- 18 months
- Two years
- 30 months
- Three years
Some of these visits involve immunizations and immunization updates, but they’re also a valuable tool by themselves for tracking your child’s growth and development. After this initial list of visits, you should bring your child in at least once a year to get the flu vaccine, which changes every year.
If you’re interested in setting up your child’s first pediatric care visit or any visit after the first, call Redwood Family Health Center or request an appointment online today.
