Immunizations and Sports Physicals

Immunizations and sports physicals are part of our back-to-school checklist of things to do for the family. Summer is at its peak, and back-to-school things are beginning to appear on store shelves. The last few weeks of summer are ideal for completing your back-to-school health task list. To start, every child should undergo a physical examination. 

Children aged three and above should see their pediatrician once a year. A good approach is to use your child’s birthday as a reminder. As children age and participate in school sports and activities, physical exams are required. Mont Belvieu Urgent and Family Care can help busy parents take care of immunizations and sports physicals. 

A yearly physical examination by your child’s pediatrician is essential for several reasons:

Keeping Track

Regular exams provide crucial continuity, allowing your pediatrician to evaluate your child’s height, weight, hearing, vision, and other factors. Too often, a child has an undiagnosed vision problem and needs glasses. Without a checkup, a youngster may not speak up, allowing the problem to go unnoticed.

It’s also an excellent time to keep track of your food and nutrition, and manage underweight or overweight issues. Getting a handle on obesity starts in childhood.

Annual visits allow doctors to provide wellness guidance and advice. Regular checkups enable your physician to discover emerging issues and keep track of your child’s progress and development over time. It is also essential for adolescent patients to address concerns such as drinking, smoking, drugs, depression, and sexual activity.

Meeting Milestones

A developmental evaluation is part of the physical examination up to the age of 5, measuring your child’s physical, emotional, and social progress and motor development. It assists in determining your child’s school readiness and the presence of the skills, attitude, and knowledge required for academic achievement. Your doctor will track these developmental milestones throughout your child’s adolescence.

Family History

Annual checkups allow your doctor to learn about your family’s medical history and whether any concerns could affect your child’s future. Layering information with each visit is crucial in a family-centered approach to care and allows you to receive up-to-date information while filling out other school paperwork.

Keeping Up With Immunizations

For information on Texas vaccines required for school-aged children, visit the Department of State Health Services website. Before commencing school, kindergarteners must have two measles and chicken pox vaccinations, their DPT (a series of combination immunizations against diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus), and polio vaccines.

Sports Readiness  

Before commencing school, kindergarteners Children develop differently and it is important to establish a physical baseline for height, weight, vision and hearing. A sports physical gives the school and “all clear” on your child’s health for participation. 

We’re Here to Help  

Whether your child is preparing for sports, school, or camp, a physical is the first step in ensuring their health and readiness for any activity. Furthermore, if your child is a student-athlete, they should get a current medical examination at least six weeks before the start of the sports season. At Mont Belvieu Urgent Care, we provide sports physicals for just $30. Make an appointment today and check this off of your back-to-school checklist by calling us at (281) 385-8111 to get scheduled.