UTHealth Houston Ask the Expert featuring Sheela Gavvala, DO, FAAP

Welcome to “Ask the Expert,” a UTHealth Houston newsroom series where our leading physicians examine pressing health challenges. For the next month, we’re sharing tips on how families and kids can set themselves up for a healthy, successful school year. In this edition, we address back-to-school appointments. 

As families prepare for back to school, it’s the perfect time to make sure kids are starting the year healthy and ready to learn. Getting physical exams, staying up to date on vaccines, scheduling eye exams, and adding a dental visit to the calendar all help set them up for a strong, confident start to the school year.

Starting the school year off right

Back to school appointments are one of the best ways to ensure kids start healthy and prepared. Vaccines are crucial and safe tools that give kids the best chance of staying healthy. They can prevent or reduce the severity of illnesses caused by infections that can sometimes be life-threatening. Staying up to date also supports herd immunity, protecting the broader community and those who are most vulnerable.

If your child is participating in extracurricular activities that require an annual physical, parents can expect an exam much like a wellness appointment. During the appointment, children will undergo a comprehensive checkup by their doctor, and the physician will review your child’s medical history, including immunizations. This assessment should include analyzing a child’s development to ensure kids are meeting appropriate milestones. If there are any screening tests that your doctor recommends, such as blood work to check for high cholesterol or anemia, these will be discussed then.

Your child’s pediatrician will also spend time discussing emotional or mental health and safety with teenagers on their own. This will help create a confidential, safe space for teens to ask their own questions and start taking ownership of their health. These wellness checks are a great time for you or your child to bring up other health-related concerns.

Wellness exams matter because they give pediatricians a chance to catch potential health issues early, track growth and development, and make sure kids have the support they need to stay healthy throughout the year.

-By Sheela Gavvala, DO, associate professor and pediatrician at UTHealth Houston

 

Read the full article featuring two additional experts >> (external link)

 

All quotes should be attributed to the respective subject matter expert.

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