Well-child checkups are vital for keeping up to date with your kid’s health

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) – Have you been keeping up with your kid’s well-child checkups?

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Well-child checkups may seem like a big time commitment. A child’s first checkup normally takes place just days after birth with monthly and bimonthly appointments taking place throughout out the first year of their life.

Dr. Neil Copeland, a pediatrician with Charleston Area Medical Center, said that despite the time commitment, keeping up with these appointments is vital. “Children are undergoing a tremendous amount of growth in their early ages between not only physical growth but also their mental skills,” said Copeland. “We really want to have close observation to make sure that growth is appropriate and if it starts to deviate and then we develop concerns, we can intervene as early as possible.”

One mother, Adrianna Kidd, said it is also important to recognize that, during these appointments, doctors can sometimes notice more than what is readily evident to the average person. “They can catch things that sometimes you can’t. They can outsource more resources for you and get your child back on the right track.”

It is important to keep tabs on well-child checkups on the front end rather than to wait and get behind on your child’s health.

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While many loath going to the doctor, Dr. Copeland reassured that these checkups are not always gloom and doom. “It gives the pediatrician and the family the opportunity to really have great knowledge and understanding about the holistic framework,” said Copeland. “We see kids when they’re well. We cannot only celebrate when they’re growing well and meeting their milestones and doing everything they’re supposed to be doing.”

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