kids yearly check-ups

[DawnM]

I take my kids yearly for two reasons:

1. They need it for camp.
2. I get $100 in incentive $$ from my insurance for each physical (up to $400 total.) It is also 100% covered, so I make money on the deal!

Dawn

 

[penn19]

With the every increasing cholesterol rates and high blood pressure seen in children - they should be seen every year and have blood work done.

Thanks Mom. Duly noted.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I take my kids for annual well-child check-ups. My kids' ped is also a pediatric cardiologist and listens intently to their hearts at each visit. Two years ago, he heard a "clicking" sound in my older son's heart and had us go back for an EKG to make sure it wasn't anything serious. (It wasn't.) But, I definitely feel better knowing they are being examined while they are well and normal. It's not enough to take in a sick child - their blood pressure will be elevated, for example, and the doctor is mainly looking for the cause of the illness, not the overall health of the child. I feel like taking my kids in for regular check-ups gives the doctor a baseline comparison for when they *are* sick and he'll be more perceptive about changes and things that are not right. My kids are generally very healthy and there have been several years when neither one has had a "sick visit" between their "well visits," but I think it's important to take them.

 

[aprilgail2]

I would think an insurance company would balk at the waste..and the code thing too ...again NOT picking on that poster but wish she'd come back and address legitimate questions...If not maybe she'll think about what we asked because it doesn't make a damn bit of sense financially, no matter who pays, but more importantly..Why ?

I am very happy to get yearly blood work to make sure everything is ok- it is standard at her Dr as well as many others I know. Many of my friends are nurses and their kids also get yearly blood work at their Dr's so it is not just mine that does them. Right now my daughter is on extra vitamins because her vitamin D levels came back low. My friends VERY thin daughter is on a low fat diet due to her Cholesterol levels being very high. Its not something they can just look at your child for 5 minutes and determine.
As far as the EKG goes, it takes minutes to get done so why not make sure everything is ok. I get EKG's every year at my Dr too that they do as part of normal testing, I sure never asked for it LOL. It is all part of routine testing as far as I am concerned.

 

[Luvchefmic]

ok to each his/her own personally a yearly EKG for an adult or a child that does not have a medical issue benefits one person I'll leave it there

 

[clori]

My kids go to the peds for yearly checkups. They get blood work done every year. I'm not sure what gets checked. I know that they always check for anemia amongst other things. It seems to be the norm amongst parents I know.

The kids have never had EKGs done nor have Dh or I. I have no idea if either practice has the equipment. Our yearly physicals are free.

 

[disney1990]

Right, so a doctor checks blood pressure, height, weight and asks a kid what he eats. Still able to detect a lot without blood work or an ekg.

I never mentioned getting an ekg. But, I don't understand the big deal over blood work.

 

[cybrkitn]

This year the dr informed me that new standards for our state (NY) are recommending cholesterol testing for kids.

Do you know if that has gone into affect yet? DS11 just had his physical back in May and his doctor never mentioned anything about new standards and recommendations.

 

[mjkacmom]

We aren't talking about blood work for at risk kids but rather ones that are healthy and completely in the normal ranges for their age, height, weight.

My kids get blood work every other year (ds15 is late - pediatrician gave me a hard time). I think it might be a law here in NJ, to check for lead (most homes in my town are over 50 years old).

I get blood work done at every physical, plus an ekg. At every doctor I ever went to.

 

[JVL1018]

I just checked my past statements on my peds website..my kids get a finger stick every time. Says hemoglobin. Every few years they do a cholesterol check. Looks like around 6/7 and 12 years old so far.
When they were little(baby-preschool ages)they did check for lead at every yearly visit.

Never had an EKG done at the pediatrician.
When my son was 1, the dr heard something off at his check up. Told me he suspected he had both a heart murmur and a hole in his heart. We went to a pediatric cardiologist, and continued there every 6 months, where he had EKG and echocardiograms done.
He had the hole in his heart closed when he was 4 years old, has a bunch of echos and EKGs done, then one more set 6 months later, was dismissed from the cardiologist's care at that point and even with that history, still doesn't get an EKG at his yearly check ups at the pediatrician. He still has a murmur, but has no issues or restrictions put upon him.

I'm in NJ and go to a big practice with 6 offices and 25 or so doctors.

 

[Jaime4004]

I definitely understand both sides of getting or not getting an annual physical if healthy. Pediatricians don't agree... I do get them for my kids yearly, and they are all healthy, rarely go for sick visits. When DD turned 9, they did catch that she needed glasses! I had no idea. So it was worth it.

 

[mhsjax]

But the problem is that well child check ups, beyond the early childhood yrs, are not responsible for keeping the otherwise healthy child healthy. That would be the result of lifestyle choices that they make/are made for them.

And I would argue that the overwhelming majority of parents do indeed know what they should/should not be doing and whether or not their kids are truly healthy. And that making sure to take those kids to the doctor every single year for that 20 minute appointment...where that doctor can declare that they are doing things right or wrong....makes little to no difference in most of the choices people make. Most parents are not the idiots we paint them to be. And those that are? More often than not they are idiots by choice.

I would never give up my annual physicals for my kids. My pediatrician is so much more than just a set of numbers. She is all about how they are doing mentally, physically socially. Not to mention on my DD's 13th checkup, when nothing was due in the form of shots, with no symptoms that were noticeable,she was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic. We also don't have anyone in either of our families that have it, we were totally blindsided by this one. They told me had she gone much longer she would be in the hospital with potential organ damage. Sorry but I will take my kids every year. Their health is worth it.

 

[disykat]

I'm seeing a divide between those for whom a visit involves blood work etc. and those who don't get those services annually. I can certainly see how a visit would seem more valuable to those with those services. The reality is though, that most of us don't have the ability to get those annually through our normal health care providers/insurance.

I don't think anyone here has said that people SHOULDN'T take their kids annually, only that they personally don't.

 

[StephMK]

My kids go every year but haven't ever had blood work done. They have seen 2 different peds in different states and this never came up. I wish they would have bloodwork because I think it's a quick, easy extra check that everything is ok. Thyroid issues run in my family and it'd be nice to know my kids are ok.

Their doc definitely spends time talking about academics, friends, interests, and their social well being. I like taking them and it's a good office.

I know 3 kids who were diagnosed with scoliosis this year as young teens. I think regular appts are important because you just never know what might need to be addressed.

No co-pays on checkups with this insurance but we used to pay $20 a visit and that was fine too. Worth the peace of mind.

 

[pacrosby]

I would never give up my annual physicals for my kids. My pediatrician is so much more than just a set of numbers. She is all about how they are doing mentally, physically socially. Not to mention on my DD's 13th checkup, when nothing was due in the form of shots, with no symptoms that were noticeable,she was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic. We also don't have anyone in either of our families that have it, we were totally blindsided by this one. They told me had she gone much longer she would be in the hospital with potential organ damage. Sorry but I will take my kids every year. Their health is worth it.

That's fine with me. I never told "you" not to.

That said....can I ask how it is that your doctor diagnosed your 13 yo w/no symptoms? Urine/blood test? As many have said those are not part and parcel of their children's annual exams. There is nothing that could be diagnosed in that 20 minute appointment I have unless I was already concerned about something. In which case I wouldn't just wait around for an annual exam to ask about it....I'd make an immediate appt.

 

[mhsjax]

That's fine with me. I never told "you" not to.

That said....can I ask how it is that your doctor diagnosed your 13 yo w/no symptoms? Urine/blood test? As many have said those are not part and parcel of their children's annual exams. There is nothing that could be diagnosed in that 20 minute appointment I have unless I was already concerned about something. In which case I wouldn't just wait around for an annual exam to ask about it....I'd make an immediate appt.

Well, My Dr does a urinalysis at each appt, a simply dipstick. After that a simple finger stick, When it read 480. She went straight to the hospital, so in fact it wasn't even cought in a 20 minute appt, it was cought in the first 5 minutes of her routine exam. So yes, there was something HUGE that was diagnosed in that under 20 minute appt. Thank goodness she does a simple U/A for each child. No blood draw needed.

As a child I always had to pee in a cup for my Dr. I think that is routine for most.

And I never said that you told me not to. I was expressing a very strong opinion that kids need to be taken for annual exams.

 

[disykat]

Again, people aren't saying it's a bad thing, it's just NOT routine for most physicals. The majority of us on this thread have said we are not given those tests during a routine physical. I am not, nor were my kids. (Both of my kids gave urine samples at their 7 year check up, but it is no longer on the well-child schedule for our provider.) I have not given a urine sample since my last child was born in 1995. I believe those that say they are given those tests, and I think that's great, but I think they are mistaken when they believe it's the norm.

As I said before, the discrepancy between those who find them worthwhile or not seems to lie in whether your particular caregiver/insurance program allows that annual testing. The testing mhsjax's child was given led to the diagnosis. It probably would not have been caught without, so it still would not have been caught for most. Sad, but reality.

 

[pacrosby]

Well, My Dr does a urinalysis at each appt, a simply dipstick. After that a simple finger stick, When it read 480. She went straight to the hospital, so in fact it wasn't even cought in a 20 minute appt, it was cought in the first 5 minutes of her routine exam. So yes, there was something HUGE that was diagnosed in that under 20 minute appt. Thank goodness she does a simple U/A for each child. No blood draw needed.

As a child I always had to pee in a cup for my Dr. I think that is routine for most.

And I never said that you told me not to. I was expressing a very strong opinion that kids need to be taken for annual exams.

Thanks for clarifying. And thank goodness for your daughter, you're lucky that your doctor does that. Because your assumption that it is "routine" during most well-child check ups for an otherwise healthy child is simply incorrect. It is not. Not even for adults (and fwiw I'm not from the sticks...the doctors my family goes to are affiliated with the best hospitals in the country. And still, it is NOT routine).

 

[JVL1018]

Again, people aren't saying it's a bad thing, it's just NOT routine for most physicals. The majority of us on this thread have said we are not given those tests during a routine physical. I am not, nor were my kids. (Both of my kids gave urine samples at their 7 year check up, but it is no longer on the well-child schedule for our provider.) I have not given a urine sample since my last child was born in 1995. I believe those that say they are given those tests, and I think that's great, but I think they are mistaken when they believe it's the norm.

As I said before, the discrepancy between those who find them worthwhile or not seems to lie in whether your particular caregiver/insurance program allows that annual testing. The testing mhsjax's child was given led to the diagnosis. It probably would not have been caught without, so it still would not have been caught for most. Sad, but reality.

I didn't realize this. My kids always give a urine sample, as well.

 

[mhsjax]

Thanks for clarifying. And thank goodness for your daughter, you're lucky that your doctor does that. Because your assumption that it is "routine" during most well-child check ups for an otherwise healthy child is simply incorrect. It is not. Not even for adults (and fwiw I'm not from the sticks...the doctors my family goes to are affiliated with the best hospitals in the country. And still, it is NOT routine).

Could be just different parts of the country. My pediatrician is out standing and is one of the best in our area. She has and always will include a U/A for a routine checkup. I am lucky that she does, I realize that. Before this little problem, I would have agreed with those of you that may skip a physical, but after this and knowing how she operates her practice, I just can't justify it for my kids. She has a 6th sense about stuff, it really is the most bazaar thing I have ever seen.