Does your child only visit the pediatrician if he or she is sick or injured? Well-child care exams play an important role in your child's health. The exams, offered by the pediatricians at Growing Together Pediatrics in Ocoee and Orlando, FL, provide a simple way to identify health or development issues.

Why should my child have a well-child care exam?

Regular checkups aren't only important when your child is a baby. During yearly exams, your child's Ocoee or Orlando pediatrician may:

• Offer Vision Screenings: Changes in vision can happen so gradually that your son or daughter may not even realize that there's a problem. Vision screenings, part of every well-child care exam, offer a simple way to identify vision issues. If your child can't see the eye chart clearly, his or her doctor will recommend visiting an eye doctor.
• Provide Hearing Screenings: It's difficult to do well in school if you can't hear well. In some cases, hearing loss can be mistaken for behavioral issues. Kids who have hearing loss may have trouble following directions or may appear to be daydreaming. Periodic screenings help ensure that hearing loss is identified and treated promptly.
• Identify Health and Developmental Issues: Some chronic diseases, such as diabetes, epilepsy, or asthma, may start in childhood. Signs and symptoms can be subtle at first and are easily overlooked or confused with minor illnesses. During well-child visits, your child's pediatricians will check for signs of these and other diseases. She'll also discuss developmental milestones and ask you to share any concerns you may have regarding your child's health and development.
• Offer Immunizations: Your child's immunization record will also be reviewed during the checkup. If he or she needs a booster or has never received a particular vaccine or immunization, it will be provided during the visit. Immunizations for measles, whooping cough, chickenpox, meningitis, tetanus, mumps, diptheria, polio, hepatitis, and other diseases not only safeguard your child's health but also protect people who can't be immunized due to certain health conditions.

Is it time for your child's well-child care exam? Call the pediatricians at Growing Together Pediatrics in Ocoee and Orlando, FL, at (407) 770-1414 to schedule an appointment.