All children should see a pediatrician regularly for physical checkups. These appointments enable the doctor to monitor growth and development and track when your child reaches various milestones. A plan can be developed for children who do not meet certain milestones on time to help them catch up to their peers. The experienced pediatricians at Mid Kansas Pediatric Associates in Wichita and Derby, KS, perform physicals that include monitoring milestones to ensure your child is on track.

Children’s Physical Checkups

Pediatric checkups contribute to better health and wellness for children by allowing the doctor to monitor growth, development, and overall health. Additionally, the pediatrician will make individualized recommendations for steps that can be taken to prevent various health issues so kids remain healthy.

The physical exam is a key component of checkups at our pediatric offices in Wichita & Derby, KS. Physicals involve assessing a child’s overall physical health, which includes:

• Taking blood pressure
• Checking pulse or heart rate
• Height and weight measurements
• Examining the eyes, ears, and nose
• Checking the lungs and respiration
• Examining the musculoskeletal system
• Performing developmental screenings
• Vaccinations and immunizations
• Checking the lymph nodes
• Testing reflexes

Childhood Milestones

Children reach numerous milestones throughout childhood in a variety of areas, including cognition, language, communication, movement, and physical development. Examples of significant milestones reached during early childhood include:

• Saying first words
• Eating solid foods
• Eruption of the first tooth
• Sitting up without support
• Rolling over
• Crawling
• Walking
• Eating with a spoon

Monitoring Milestones During Checkups

An important aspect of your child’s physical checkups is monitoring when different milestones are reached, such as talking and walking. If there are any delays in reaching developmental milestones, steps can be taken to help your child catch up. For example, speech therapy can help kids behind their peers in vocabulary and communication skills.

Pediatricians use several methods to monitor milestones and determine if your child is reaching them on time. Some ways milestones are monitored during physical checkups include:

• Observing your child’s behavior, including eye contact, head control, and how they interact with the doctor or their surroundings
• Asking parents or caregivers questions about the child’s abilities, such as whether they are crawling yet
• Comparing your child’s height and weight measurements, as well as head circumference for infants, to standard growth charts for their age and sex
• Performing developmental screenings to identify potential delays so a treatment plan can be developed

Scheduling regular physical checkups with your child’s pediatrician is an effective way to monitor growth and development and progress toward reaching key milestones. Schedule appointments for your children’s physicals by contacting Mid Kansas Pediatric Associates in Wichita & Derby, KS. Call (316) 634-2000 for East Wichita; (316) 773-3100 for West Wichita; or (316) 719-2001 for Derby.