Do you bring your preteens/teens for yearly check ups?

[Quiver0f10]

I have always brought my kids in for yearly check ups, but I am wondering if this is really necessary for my older kids? They are healthy and up to date on all vax. We have insurance that would cover it so money isn't an issue. I just don't really see the point if we are healthy?

 

If you don't do yearly visits, how often do you bring them in if they are NOT sick?

 

Thanks!

[Samiam]

I wonder about that too. Actually even considered that for my youngers this year...they are rarely sick, no issues to speak of, we delay vaccinations so if we don't go every year, we can do it the next time or whenever we get to it. BUT then I think well, what if there is a health issue that I am missing, don't know to see it, and it could have been fixed if diagnosed early (had this happen to a friend who daughter ended up with some eye issues...they didn't realize it was an issue..once it was finally diagnosed it had advanced to a point where it was a major issue and much more work to correct).........so then we go.

 

But as DS10 gets a little older, I am wonder if the annual check-ups are REALLY necessary as long as he is not presenting any issues.

[Tutor]

Our MD had us switch to an every-other-year schedule when our kids turned 8.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My oldest is only 11 and I took him. I plan to keep taking him. I (most of the time) have the habit of having a yearly check-up for myself and I think this helps to build this habit. It also gives me a chance to ask the Dr. about little health-related things that I wouldn't take them in for specifically.

[Danestress]

When they were babies and needed (or I wanted) immunizations, then they went pretty regularly. Once they were up to date on immunizations, I have never taken a well child to the doctor.

 

Usually there is something every couple of years with any given child - a time I am worried about strep or an ear infection or allergies or something. But other than that, I don't do doctors.

[MamaT]

We switch to every other year at 10yo for well-checks. Our insurance will only pay for every other year at this age, and unless they're having a problem that seems often enough to me.

[Jenny in Florida]

I've been taking my daughter every summer, but that's in part because she's gone for most of the year. I just feel better about having her so far away if we're sure she's in good shape before she leaves.

 

For most of their lives, though, once we were past the vaccines and toddler stuff, we didn't necessarily go annually. They were so rarely sick that, especially during the years when we were without insurance, it didn't seem worth it.

[Tammy]

m

[mamaof2andtwins]

We go every other year.

 

Jennie

[4kiddies]

My kids are younger but I never understood the "they look healthy, why should I take them every year" attitude. Your child may look healthy to you but may have an underlying problem that would be evident to your dr. Why take a chance of having something go undiagnosed ? Just my opinion,take it or leave it.

Edited April 6, 2009 by 4kiddies

[elise1mds]

My ped told me that we could start coming every other year for my son's physicals this year when he turned 6, since he really has no major issues. That being said, we're there every six months for med rechecks anyway.

[Danestress]

My kids are younger but I never understood the "they look healthy, why should I take them every year" attitude. Your child may look healthy to you but may have an underlying problem that would be evident to your dr. Why take a chance of having something go undiagnoised just because you don't want to take an hour for a doctor's visit once a year? Just my opinion,take it or leave it.

 

My objection to taking my kids for regular check ups is not that I don't want to spend an hour. I spend all day every day on my children, pretty much. That's what homeschooling is. I don't have any hours of the day that are used on anything more important than them. My objection is that the germiest place on earth is a doctor's office. If they weren't sick before they want, they often are sick after.

 

I find that when we have gone for things like sprained ankles, broken wrists or allergy flare-ups, we often go home and come down with colds and flu - even with separate waiting areas for sick and well kids. It's just like voluntary to be a petri dish, lol.

[4kiddies]

I hear you about the petri dish LOL! Anyways I've decided that my original post came off a little more judgemental than I intended :tongue_smilie:so I will edit my original post. Sorry if I offended you. Not my intention.

Edited April 6, 2009 by 4kiddies

[mooooom]

My kids are rarely sick; we never have sick visits. I also try to space out vaccinations, there seem to be a lot more now, and I'm in the one a year camp when possible. Also, my dd just got diagnosed with scoliosis that really wasn't visible to us yet. Things like that get checked at school.

[sleepy]

No. We go to regular check-ups from birth to about 3yo. After that, I only take them in if they're sick.

 

(my oldest hasn't been to the dr. since she was 7 :leaving:)

[Tree House Academy]

Our insurance reads like this:

 

Exam only Limit

1st yr-6 visits

2nd yr- 3 visits

Age 2-6 annually

Age 6-12 every 12 months

Age 12-30 -every 3rd year

 

Well Adult:

Age 12-30 every 3 years

Age 30-50, every 2 years

Age 50 and over-annually.

 

It is confusing as crud too because it even includes well WOMAN visits...it pays for the PAP and the Mammogram...just NOT the exam by the doctor. Is that a crock, or what???

 

Personally, I would ask what your dr. office recommends.

[K&Rs Mom]

Mine are 4 & 6, and I've decided to take them every other year, since our last visits kind of seemed like a waste of time.

 

I think it's more important as infants & toddlers, because there's so much developmental stuff going on and the dr can track their growth, but once they're walking/talking/reading/writing, it's pretty easy to know if something's wrong.

[Mad Jenny Flint]

Now that my son is 14 and daughter is 10, I feel the need to take them more regularly. They grow so fast at this age! Things can change dramatically over a short span of time. Plus, they may have questions about their changing bodies that they would like to ask a doc.

 

We have friends whose son was recently diagnosed with cancer. I'm not sure when their last well-check was before his diagnosis, but by the time he was symptomatic, it was stage IV. I just believe that preventive care is worth the effort. Besides, I go every year, so my thought is, why shouldn't they?

[Tap]

I take them every year but, our insurance pays 100% of the visits. if I was paying the $150 per visit, per kid, I may think differently.

 

When they are 0-5 there are often growth/development issues that I like monitored and immunizations to be administered.

 

When they are between 6-puberty, I take them if I need to. We get flu shots so they usually get a physical and flu shots at the same time in the fall. If I missed one or two, I wouldn't be concerned.

 

Ds14 has hit full blown puberty and is in competitive sports so I like to have him looked over just to make sure everything is good with his body. We have an aggressive form of testicular cancer in my husband's family so I will continue to push for physicals every year, if nothing else, just to have the doctor do a testicular exam. Ds has been taught to self examine, but I like knowing that a doctor also is looking for problems.

 

When dd starts menstruating, I will most likely have to take her in to a gyn, due to issues on my mother's side of the family. No One in my maternal family has normal cycles, and everyone has different issues, so she will most likely need to be monitored more closely than a typical teen.

[K&Rs Mom]

I'm not sure when their last well-check was before his diagnosis, but by the time he was symptomatic, it was stage IV.

 

Without any symptoms, would a well-child checkup have caught it? Not the ones I've been to! I'm pretty sure the stethoscope/blood-pressure/otoscope process doesn't notice stuff like cancer....

[JoyfulMama]

I had a related conversation with my Family Doc a couple years ago... Now, I know each doc is different, but she thinks ages 8-20 are important years for well visits, as it give the person an opportunity to discuss sensitive body questions in a safe place, and with a knowledgable person. Not everyone feels comfortable talking to their parents about such things, and not all parents feel comfortable discussing such things with their children. If the relationship is grown from an early age, hopefully the trust is there for difficult or possibly embarrassing questions when needed.

So I will continue to take my children for well visits, each and every year, so they can continue to have someone else they trust to talk to if they feel that I or their father is unapproachable. And I will voluntarily leave the room, allowing for discussion out of earshot.

I want my children to feel comfortable with their bodies, and feel comfortable discussing their bodies with ''a professional", so that they are not afraid to not discuss things with their doctors. I never want my children to blindly follow the advise of a "professional". I want them to be able to learn how to be an active decision-maker, and also an active listener, and I also want them to be able to recognize a good care provider from a poor care provider. (And a poor care provider is not one who won't do what you want - a poor care provider is one who won't provide information in order to facilitate discussion of options.)

[Quiver0f10]

Thank you everyone for responding!

[nevergiveup]

It is a good idea to have a doctor teach boys how to do a testicular self exam starting at age 15 since testicular cancer is more common than one would like to think. Also it is a good idea to have skin cancer checks--my sons have large moles we like to keep an eye on.

 

Nevergiveup

[stripe]

I've been very disappointed by almost all well-child exams. I feel that the doctors rarely if ever catch anything I don't bring to their attention (usually multiple times!), and the biggest issues have been ignored by the pediatricians completely until I took matters into my own hand (=going elsewhere to "fix" the problem or provide a diagnosis so I could call in a request for a referral to a specialist). I am frustrated by all the questions about bedtime routine/diet/type of milk preferred/smokers in the house/parenting advice instead of actually looking at my child and assessing their health independently.

[KidsHappen]

Our insurance reads like this:

 

Exam only Limit

1st yr-6 visits

2nd yr- 3 visits

Age 2-6 annually

Age 6-12 every 12 months

Age 12-30 -every 3rd year

 

Well Adult:

Age 12-30 every 3 years

Age 30-50, every 2 years

Age 50 and over-annually.

 

It is confusing as crud too because it even includes well WOMAN visits...it pays for the PAP and the Mammogram...just NOT the exam by the doctor. Is that a crock, or what???

 

Personally, I would ask what your dr. office recommends.

 

If you are in a monogamous relationship and have had three years of clear PAPs, most dr.s now only recommend a PAP and physcial every other or every third year. I believe that this is the AMA recommendation as well.

[KidsHappen]

From about age 3 and on, I only take my children when they are sick or need a physcial for school, sports or summer camp. The older two were never sick. The 17 yr. old has went yearly because of summer camp. She also is never sick. The other teen goes frequently because she seems to be particularly prone to bacterial infections: vag*nal, bladder, ear, strep, etc. It seems like she is constantly on anti-biotics and I am not in favor of anti-biotics so we use them cautiously. The 12 yr. old dd has seen the dr. maybe three times in her entire life and everytime it was for a physical. This child has rarely even had a cold. The youngest goes at least every six months because she has either an ear infection or strep throat. She seems to be getting better with age though. I have no idea why the one child gets sick so much. I think unfortunately she may have inherited my genes. The rest seem to take after their dad as he is rarely sick. They were all either born at home or in a birth center. They were breast feed and we don't vax. They didn't go to child care or school so they haven't been exposed to a lot of viruses or other germs. I really can't imagine that there would be something wrong with my child that I wouldn't notice.

[Peggy in Va]

...Your child may look healthy to you but may have an underlying problem that would be evident to your dr. Why take a chance of having something go undiagnosed ? Just my opinion,take it or leave it.

:iagree:

But, this is where I don't practice what I preach. When my oldest son was younger I was not in the habit of taking him in for annual checkups, unless he needed a vaccine. We were at the drs so frequently (asthma, allergies) that I didn't really think of it. For some reason I figured everything was o.k. It wasn't until I took him in for a sports physical around the age of 14 that I found out he needed glasses. This kid was a straight A student, never complained about his vision or anything. But sure enough, his vision was horrible.

 

Now, that being said, I just found out the other day that it's been 3 yrs since my youngest had a physical. We've been to see the dr. plenty of times in those 3 yrs but somehow I missed the physicals.

 

So yes, I do think it's important to go annually. However, I don't always follow my own advice.

[Mommyof4ks]

My DD 9 went for her check up a couple of weeks ago at her doc's urging. She grows so fast that he is concerned about scoliosis, and since we homeschool he would like to check their hearing and vision every year like they do in ps around here. We are fine with that schedule since it is just 20 minutes once a year and ins pays for it. It gives me a chance to ask about 'odd' things that come up too like her feet turning in or the bumps on her face (pre-teen acney, and so it starts UGH) that do not really warrent a visit just for that.

[Kathy in MD]

Without any symptoms, would a well-child checkup have caught it? Not the ones I've been to! I'm pretty sure the stethoscope/blood-pressure/otoscope process doesn't notice stuff like cancer....

 

I think that depends a lot on the doctor. My first pediatrician was a preferred provider in our medical plan and the exams were fast and skimpy. Now our ds is seeing our adult internist who isn't in any medical plan. The annual exams are far more thorough. BTW, this is the doctor who caught my breast cancer on my first visit to him. Needless to say I think the world of him.

[Melissa in Australia]

I have never taken any children for a well check. oh, except when they were 6 weeks old. they only go to the doctor if they are sick. why waste the doctors time with healthy children??

I don't know anyone that takes children to the doctor when they are well. maybe it is some strange American custom?

[sleepy]

I don't know anyone that takes children to the doctor when they are well. maybe it is some strange American custom?

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

America: The Land of Strange Customs :D

[stripe]

If you are in a monogamous relationship and have had three years of clear PAPs, most dr.s now only recommend a PAP and physcial every other or every third year. I believe that this is the AMA recommendation as well.

 

That's my understanding too -- so I don't understand why I got a lecture by the nurse that "you need to take care of yourself" blah blah, or I'm told to come in for another one next year. I get the feeling they think (without seeing him) that my husband may not be monogamous. What that says about me, I would probably rather not know. Ugh.

[keptwoman]

When they were babies and needed (or I wanted) immunizations, then they went pretty regularly. Once they were up to date on immunizations, I have never taken a well child to the doctor.

 

Usually there is something every couple of years with any given child - a time I am worried about strep or an ear infection or allergies or something. But other than that, I don't do doctors.

Same here.

[keptwoman]

I have never taken any children for a well check. oh, except when they were 6 weeks old. they only go to the doctor if they are sick. why waste the doctors time with healthy children??

I don't know anyone that takes children to the doctor when they are well. maybe it is some strange American custom?

I think it is. I've never heard of it here or in NZ. But it does seem that my US friends seem to take their children for regularly scheduled check ups. It seems odd to me but a sign of their quite medicalised society.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I only take mine in if they need a physical to go to camp. This year, I took ds for his camp physical, but dd didn't need one because at her camp, physicals are good for two years.

 

I don't know how often I would take them in if it weren't required.

[skaterbabs]

We don't generally bother with yearly checkups, but when we notice major changes we try to schedule one. For example, my oldest has, in the past two mon5ths, developed body hair. We'll schedule one for him for his next birthday. (July.)

[swellmomma]

The kids go every 3-4 months for a check up right now even the 10 year old. A big part of that is their special needs though, monitoring for side effects from meds etc. Once they are older it may switch to an annual check up but yes they will continue to go. I tend to not go for annual check ups and as a result go much longer than neccesary with possible health concerns that I didn't think were a concern.

 

I used to work for a dr, and he often said he liked to see his patients when they were healthy because it helped gauge better if/when something more was going on. For example, someone may look depressed during a visit might actually be healthy and look that way all the time, they are just a naturally pessimistic person. However if the dr sees them regularily and sees how upbeat and content the person is, then the dr know something is up.

[Danestress]

We have great insurance so I could take my children for annual physicals if I wanted, but honestly, I think that drives up insurance costs for everyone.

 

Americans are so bitter and angry about the cost of health insurance, but they also seem to think "well, if it's covered, I should do it." Just because it's covered doesn't mean they should do it. I personally think that if everyone focused more on eating right, listening to your body, and exercise, and didn't go to the doctor unless they really really needed to, a lot of our economic problems would magically seem much less frightening. Of course, it might mean we would need fewer health care providers.

[Alice]

I'm obviously biased and I have posted something similar to this before on a similar thread...but I do think well check-ups are important for all kids. I recommend to my patients yearly, probably from about age 6-11 every other year is ok.

 

From a financial standpoint, preventative care is much less expensive to the health-care system as a whole than treating something once it's happened. We get paid much less for well checks than sick visits (when you consider time spent) and I don't think well-checks are what's driving up the cost of medicine. From an individual standpoint, we are always willing to discount check-ups for those who don't have insurance. I just saw someone last night where I charged them 50% the cost and waived the fees for all the tests and vaccines. I think a lot of doctors are willing to do that if cost is an issue for a patient.

 

Ther have been a lot of things I've diagnosed at well-checks that were not noticed by parents. I don't think I'm an especially great doctor, just that it's easy to have things that are overlooked by someone who sees the kid every day. These parents were all observant, experienced and involved. A short list includes high blood pressure, anemia, kidney disease, scoliosis (many times), autism (many times), craniosynostosis, infantile spasms (a form of seizures), many heart murmurs, thyroid disease, diabetes, histiocytosis.

 

In the preteen years and teen years I also find that kids have questions about things that they may not want to ask their parents. This includes the obvious things but also things like body odor, acne, and weight issues. Sometimes they are too embarrassed to ask their parents....and sometimes they have talked to their parents but want another opinion. I understand that, my own family always wants to ask a "real" doctor to confirm my opinions. :)

 

Anyway, I'm not judging people who don't take their kids in for check-ups. I hope it doesn't come across that way. Just wanted to put a plug in for why I think they are important.