The medical care of a child is usually aimed at preventing serious illness. This is why children should be examined regularly by a doctor or other health professional. The child need not be ill at the time of these visits. In fact, if the child is sick, the routine examination may be delayed until the child has recovered. These routine visits to the doctor are sometimes called “well-child” or “well-baby” checkups. They are often planned at the same times as required immunization.
Although they are extremely important, immunizations are only a small part of keeping your child healthy. At the time of the checkup the child also should be examined thoroughly, have routine tests, be measured to find out if he or she is growing normally, and have his or her physical and mental development evaluated.
For a baby or a small child, the measurements include height or length, weight, and also head circumference. The changes in these measurements as the child grows can be charted on a graph, and compared to the normal range of child development. If the child is not growing normally over a period of time, the doctor will check to see if the problem is caused by a growth disorder or by some other disease or abnormality. If such problems are found early, they can sometimes be corrected before any lasting damage is done.
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