Deep breath!
Dr. David
Sulkowski of
Bright Oaks
Pediatric Center
listens to the
lungs of Gloria
Farmer. How to make the most of your child’s wellness visit
BY LAURA FARMER
22 Washington FAMILY AUGUST 2022
Vital Signs and Growth
LAURA FARMER
F Burns also offers another pro tip for kids
who may be especially uncomfortable: wear
“There are different things we check for
a bathing suit.

at each age. But we always check a child’s
vitals, and weight, height, and head circum-
Developmental Milestones
ference for babies. Then everything gets
Your child’s pediatrician will also assess if
plotted on the patient’s growth chart. We
your child is meeting developmental mile-
can get a lot of information about (kids’)
stones, such as learning to talk in the younger
general health, such their nutrition or if they
years, or doing well in school for older kids.

have an illness, by tracking their growth,”
“We have a very strict list (from the
explains Sulkowski.

American Academy of Pediatrics) of devel-
opmental milestones that we look at for each
Physical Exam
age. We also spend a lot of time checking on
Another important part of the wellness
social development and academic perfor-
visit is a head-to-toe examination of
mance,” Sulkowski says.

the child’s body, including their private
parts, which can be uncomfortable for
Mental Wellness
some children.

Checking on a patient’s mental health is also
“I recommend that parents prepare kids
important, especially in the adolescent years.

for this part of the exam beforehand,” says
“We do a lot of screening and evaluation
Checkup Checklist
Dr. Jennifer Burns, M.D., pediatrician and
According to Dr. David Sulkowski, D.O., owner of Urbana Pediatrics in Urbana, for mental health concerns for our older
a pediatrician with Bright Oaks Pediatric Maryland. “We need to have a visual inspec- patients,” says Sulkowski. “It has always been
Center in Bel Air, Maryland, your tion of their whole body to ensure that a big issue, but it seems to have blossomed
child’s annual checkup is important for everything is developing as it should and even more with COVID-19 and isolation, and
with the stress of getting back to normal.”
many reasons.

there are no concerns.”
or some kids, visiting their pediatri-
cian is all about the lollipops.

“There have been times when my
kids were nervous about getting a shot,
but now they associate going to the doc-
tor’s with getting a lollipop! They’re like,
‘I get a shot, then I get a lollipop—worth
it!’” says Gabriela Clonan, B.S.N., R.N.,
C.B.C., a mother of three and nurse from
Abingdon, Maryland.

Of course, Clonan knows that lollipops
aren’t the only reasons to stay up-to-date
with her kids’ wellness visits.

“There have been times I had concerns,
especially when my kids were newborns,
and I shared them with the pediatrician
at their checkup. It always helped,”
Clonan says.




Delaware Valley Pediatric
Associates in Lawrence, New
Jersey, offers patients counseling
through the COPE program,
a cognitive behavioral therapy
program focused on reducing
negative or unhelpful thoughts
and increasing healthy behaviors.

Education LAURA FARMER
Pediatricians also make it a point
to hear parents’ concerns and
provide resources and education
to support them. They offer
anticipatory guidance, which
includes a rundown of milestones
the child should be meeting
in the next few months,
and general health educa-
tion, such as the importance
of sleep, exercise, good nutrition
and limited screen time.

Say ah! Dr. David Sulkowski of Bright Oaks Pediatric Center
examines Gloria Farmer while her sister Camille looks on.

stickers can also be helpful. It’s
extremely important for chil-
dren to not miss their scheduled
vaccines. This is probably the
Vaccines For many kids, perhaps the most most important way to keep
infamous part of the wellness children safe from a lot of differ-
ent diseases.”
visit is “getting a shot.”
“I really don’t like nee-
dles!” says Macie*, a vivacious Preparing for Your
sixth grader from Abingdon. “I Child’s Checkup
remember when I was 6 years Your child’s pediatrician needs
old, and I literally ran out of the to cover a lot of ground during
room into the lobby. My mom the wellness visit. You can make
had to come and pin me down the most of your time together
so that they could give me a by preparing ahead of time.

Experts say the following five
shot. Now I’m a little more rea-
sonable, but I still don’t like activities will help you make the
most of your visit:
getting shots!”
1. Arrive early. Parents often
According to Dr. Sulkowski,
parents can use a few tricks to need to attend to insurance
help kids like Macie relax before forms, wellness assessments
and other administrative tasks
their vaccine.

“There are some kids we can before the visit.

2. Write down your questions
talk through it,” says Sulkowski.

“Bribing with toys, lollipops or in advance. “If you have specific
questions or concerns, make a
list to bring to your visit,” advises
Burns. “If you have a lot of con-
cerns or ‘big concerns,’ such as
depression, autism, or ADHD,
you may want to speak with your
pediatrician’s office staff prior to
the visit so that adequate time is
available for the visit.”
3. Practice! Younger kids espe-
cially love imaginative role play
games. Playing doctor is the
perfect way to introduce them
to what will happen during
their well visit.

4. Talk about it. Talk to your
kids about what to expect
and why each part of the visit
is important. Books or car-
toons about doctor’s visits
could be a helpful tool to help
them understand.

5. Bring a book, toy or screen.

Dr. Susan Henrikson, M.D., a
pediatrician with Northern
Virginia Pediatric Associates,
advises, “I find some of the kids
who are having a hard time, if
they have a book or toy or some-
thing to distract them from just
sitting there, it usually goes bet-
ter.” She adds that bringing a
phone to entertain your child
can sometimes be helpful, but
not always. “I think there are
certain cases where showing a
video on your phone is OK, such
as for an older child who is wait-
ing for a sibling or who is bored,”
explains Henrikson, “but it is not
my favorite for younger children.

Parents get distracted trying to
find the right video, instead of
attending to their child.”
Well On Your Way
Finally, regular wellness visits
with your child’s pediatrician
offer the opportunity to build
a relationship with a knowl-
edgeable expert who cares
about your child.

Henrikson says she gets a lot
of joy from seeing her patients
develop and grow.

“It can be the little 6-month-
(old) baby who’s just smiling and
drooling all over the place. I love
seeing the pride in a parent who
wants to show how well their
toddler is walking. I love being
able to talk to a teenager and
know that they feel comfortable
to admit stuff to me that they
haven’t told anyone before,” she
says. “It can be a really special
relationship. T
*Last name has been withheld per
parent’s request
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