Pediatric Health History, Preventive Care, Anticipatory Guidance, Immunizations, and Well Child Visits

Topic: Pediatric Health History, Preventive Care, Anticipatory Guidance, Immunizations, and Well Child Visits

From birth, providers of care measure, weigh, observe, and monitor growth and development. Infants are closely monitored in the first year, providing a baseline. For example, if a child weighs 7 lbs at birth, what should they weigh at 3 months? These assessments are usually taken at any visit, illness or healthy. Health promotion and prevention are themes in every pediatric well visit. As the child matures, other assessments are made, such as cognition, language, motor development, etc. It is not uncommon to pick up an abnormal finding during a routine physical such as a heart murmur, and you must know when you should refer. 

Focusing on the pediatric patient, select one of the topics below and discuss the current evidence-based recommendations by leading pediatric experts and professional organizations. Focus your discussion on guidelines for pediatric healthcare providers working in primary care.

Anticipatory guidance for parents

The purpose of well child visits

The benefits of screening

• Developmental surveillance and monitoring
• Safe home environment
• Proper nutrition
• Immunizations and other efforts at illness prevention
• Early intervention of abnormal findings
• Injury risk reduction involving car safety
• Injury risk reduction involving water safety
• Lead screening recommendations
• Recommendations for identification of possible child abuse
• Recommendations for identification of possible child neglect
• Identification of adolescent substance abuse
• Screening for depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues
• Promoting healthy weight
• Promoting oral health
• Promoting the safe use of social media