What are pediatric services?

Pediatrics refers to medical care that spans your child’s life from infancy through adolescence. At Family Tree Medical Group, the practice includes a broad array of health care services designed for children of all ages.

These pediatric services include:

• Newborn and well-child exams
• Immunizations
• School and sports physicals
• Nutrition counseling
• Injury prevention
• Childhood obesity evaluations
• Hearing and vision screenings

The practice caters to the unique needs of children and teens with health care tailored to each stage of their development.

What is a well-child visit?

Your child is growing and changing with every day. A well-child visit is a checkup to make sure your child’s development is on track. Your practitioner at Family Tree Medical Group will advise you of the right schedule for well-child visits, but generally, these exams should take place at least once a year.

During the checkup, your practitioner at Family Tree Medical Group conducts a physical exam to assess your child’s growth against certain benchmarks. This includes measuring his or her height and weight. For younger children, your practitioner might measure the circumference of their head.

Your visit can also include:

• Hearing, vision, and other screenings
• Referral for blood tests
• Immunizations

This checkup is an ideal time to focus on your child’s overall wellness. You can ask your provider questions about any changes you’ve noticed in your child’s behavior or development.

What are adolescent checkups?

Your teenager encounters different issues with each passing year, which is why annual checkups are important. As your teen goes through puberty, your practitioner at Family Tree Medical Group can answer any questions you have about this time of dramatic emotional and physical change.

An adolescent checkup typically includes a different battery of tests than when your child was younger. You can expect screenings for:

• Scoliosis
• High blood pressure
• Depression
• Cholesterol
• Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s)

Your practitioner also checks to make sure your teen’s immunizations are on track. By age 13, your child should have been vaccinated for:

• Chickenpox (if they have not had chickenpox)
• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
• Hepatitis A and B
• Meningococcal disease
• Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV)
• Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis booster (Tdap)

Your practitioner could also discuss your teen’s sports activities and how to stay healthy and avoid injuries. If need be, your practitioner can perform sports and school physicals.