What to Expect During Your Child’s Physical Exam

Children’s physical exams are important appointments because they help ensure your child is developing normally. They provide reassurance that your child is healthy. Learn what your child’s doctor checks and why.

You love seeing your child grow and change. You want to make sure your child’s development is proceeding as it should. Physical exams are important preventive care guardrails to help ensure your loved one’s health.

At League Health Urgent & Primary Care in Katy, Texas, board-certified Dr. Susan Tanyi examines your child head to toe during their physical examination. Here’s an outline of what you can expect when your child has an exam with Dr. Tanyi.

Tracking growth and development

If your child is old enough, one of the first things we ask them to do is stand on our scale so we can record their height and weight. We also measure your child’s head circumference and add these numbers to your child’s permanent growth chart. We can see whether your child’s height and weight are in proportion and compare your child’s growth to that of other children of the same age and sex.

Dr. Tanyi discusses your child’s body mass index (BMI) score, a tool noting whether your child’s weight is in a normal range for their height. Obesity rates among some groups of American children can be as high as 20%. Obesity has long-term health consequences if it persists.

Checking body systems

We take your child’s body temperature, pulse, and blood pressure. Then we check cardiac activity by listening to your child’s heart with a stethoscope. Dr. Tanyi also checks your child’s reflexes to assess nervous system function.

Screenings

We ask your child to go to the bathroom to leave a urine sample. We identify whether your child has kidney problems, infections, or diabetes this way.

We also take a sample of your child’s blood to run a complete blood count, or CBC. The test tells us whether your child’s red and white blood cell and platelet counts are normal. This is often the part of the exam that your child fears. A member of our caring staff distracts your child with a toy or a picture book.

We also do hearing and eyesight checks. A hearing check can discover mild or moderate hearing loss. Identifying hearing loss early helps prevent speech and language delays as well as learning problems.

We may discover that your child’s eyes have perfect 20/20 vision, or we may find that your loved one needs glasses to see normally. If your first grader isn’t that interested in school, is it because they can’t see the board? Getting a prescription for eyeglasses can change a child’s learning trajectory.

Vaccinations

We keep a record of your child’s vaccinations and let you know when it’s time for them to receive a vaccination or booster. Boosters help ensure your child’s protection from life-threatening diseases.

Lifestyle, emotional, and behavioral health

Dr. Tanyi asks about your child’s level of physical activity, diet, sleeping habits, and emotional health. If your child has problems in school or has trouble making friends with others, Dr. Tanyi can recommend specialists to help your child.

Call League Health Urgent & Primary Care today or book an appointment through our online portal to schedule your child’s annual physical. To continue keeping tabs on your child’s health, at that appointment we’ll schedule next year’s checkup.