In the midst of COVID-19 quarantine, healthcare providers noticed a worrying trend. Parents, concerned about their children’s health, postponed their child’s wellness check-ups. Was that vaccination or height and weight check really worth exposing their family to a deadly virus?
Thankfully in Mississippi, the virus has not been as rampant as in other parts of the country. As we slowly return to a new normal, it’s time for parents to reschedule those wellness check-ups. Here’s what happens if they don’t.
Resurgence of eradicated diseases
We were already seeing higher instances of measles and other diseases for which we have vaccines. Some parents chose not to vaccinate their children and others chose to alter the schedule of vaccines. We’ve written about the dangers of those practices before. What we’re seeing now is parents who would ordinarily have their child vaccinated on a schedule have skipped or pushed back those vaccinations. The last thing we want is measles or other diseases compounding the threat of the Coronavirus our healthcare system is fighting.
Vaccination schedules are based on the ages when children are most vulnerable to specific diseases. By skipping those vaccines, children are wide open for infection. If your child was scheduled for vaccinations that were postponed during the height of the Coronavirus, it’s time to schedule those vaccines and wellness check-ups now.
Delayed intervention for developmental delays
First-time parents are less likely to notice developmental delays because they have nothing for comparison. If Baby Tim isn’t crawling when he should or Little Jane isn’t starting to speak on time, your child’s pediatrician can help you decide if it’s time to sound the alarm or wait it out.
Your pediatrician is your partner in your child’s health and growth. They’ve monitored hundreds (often thousands) of children over their career. In addition, they and their staff know the community resources available to you. If your child needs early intervention, they can help. Any parent of a child with developmental delays will tell you that early intervention is key to helping your child live their best life.
Unseen medical problems
Once a child reached school-age years, many parents forgot about yearly wellness exams even before the pandemic. Wellness exams for school-aged children include vision and hearing checks. These senses greatly affect your child’s quality of life, but you may not notice small difficulties. The wellness exams also include blood pressure checks along with height, weight, and BMI measurements.
Lack of partnership
As we mentioned earlier, your pediatrician is your partner in your child’s health. Their input during the early years of your child’s life is invaluable, but so is their contribution as your child gets older. They can help with difficult conversations around puberty, drug and alcohol use, and sex. No doctor is a substitute for parental involvement, but they can also help you find your way through these conversations. They can be another adult resource for your child as they age. Eventually, they will become an adult. By establishing healthy habits of yearly wellness visits and trust in their medical doctor, you’ll help your child continue a healthy life long after they’ve flown the nest.
If it’s time for your child’s wellness check-up or if you missed a check-up over the last few months, now’s the time to schedule your appointment. We’re keeping our offices sanitized and following the CDC’s best practices to protect you, your family, and our staff.
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