WELL-CHILD VISIT

Childhood is a Time of Rapid Growth and Change.

Pediatric well-child visits are an important part of your child’s health, from infancy through adolescence. Each visit includes a complete physical
examination along with recommended vaccinations. Hearing, vision, and other assessments are a part of the well child visit. We will assess your
child’s growth and development while identifying underlying conditions that exist. Such preventive care and immunizations are an important part for
raising healthy children.

Well-child visits are also key times for communication with your pediatrician. Common topics that are often discussed are, normal childhood
development, nutrition, sleep, safety, parenting, and education. Make the most of these visits by writing down your most important questions and
concerns to bring with you to your child’s exam.

Vaccines

League City Pediatrics Vaccine Policy Statement

• We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives.
• We firmly believe in the safety of our vaccines.
• We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence, and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.
• We firmly believe that thimerosal, a preservative that has been removed from most vaccines, does not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.
• We firmly believe that vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health-promoting intervention we perform as health care providers and that you can perform as parents/caregivers. The recommended vaccines and their schedule given are the results of years and years of scientific studies and data gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.

These things being said, we recognize that there has always been and will likely always be controversy surrounding vaccination. The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective that we are even discussing whether or not they should be given. Because of vaccines, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, bacterial meningitis, or even chickenpox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one these diseases. Such success can make us complacent vaccinating. But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results.

Over the past several years, many people in Europe have chosen not to vaccinate their children with the MMR vaccine after publication of an unfounded suspicion based on a fraudulent study (later retracted) that the vaccine caused autism. As a result of underimmunization, there have been several outbreaks of measles in the past few years resulting in several deaths; at the same time, the rate of autism did not decrease.

By not vaccinating your child you are benefitting from the thousands of others who do vaccinate their children, which decreases the likelihood that your child will contract one of these diseases while simultaneously putting other children at risk. We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We recognize that the choice can be a difficult and emotional one for some parents. Should you have concerns or doubts, please discuss these with us at the time of your visit. In some cases, we may be able to alter the schedule to accommodate concerns. However, be advised that delaying immunizations goes against expert recommendations, and could put your child at risk for serious illness (including death and disability).

If you should absolutely refuse to vaccinate your child, we will ask you to find another health care provider who shares your views. We do not keep a list of such providers.

As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do. Thank you for your time in reading this policy, and please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about any vaccines with us.

Can i Get my Flu Shot at League City Pediatrics?

Absolutely! Please call in the fall to see if the flu shots have arrived for the season. If they are not yet in stock, we can keep your name on a list and call you later to schedule.

Vision and Hearing Screening

Good vision and hearing are key to child’s success in school and overall well-being. Pediatric vision screening is intended to identify children
with vision disorders including Hyperopia (farsightedness), Myopia (nearsightedness), Astigmatism (blurred vision), Anisometropia (unequal
refractive power), Anisocoria (unequal pupil size), Strabismus (Eye misalignment) and other eye abnormalities. We offer a non-invasive
computer-assisted vision screening to detect early childhood vision problems as early as 6 months.

Developmental Screening

As children grow up, the providers at League City Pediatrics can provide developmental screening services to ensure the emotional, mental and
social health of the child. Regular screening can help children and their families achieve better health and wellness outcomes.

What is developmental screening?

Screening is a simple procedure used to identify children who may be at risk for developmental or social-emotional issues. The screening is
usually a questionnaire for the parents or an observational session to learn more about the child’s development. The screening is standardized
and is not a diagnostic tool. Its purpose is to identify if further evaluation and support may be necessary at an early age, so the child and parents
can access the services and programs available as well as promote understanding about the child’s well being.

What does developmental screening look for?

These procedures aim to check the child’s cognitive skills, his or her fine and gross motor skills, speech and language development, and socialemotional
development. It helps to tell if a child is learning basic skills within appropriate timeframes. These screenings should be carried out
regularly, at Well-baby and Well-child exams.

Why is developmental screening important?

In the United States approximately 13% of children between the ages of 3 and 17 have some behavioral or developmental disability, ranging
from autism to intellectual disabilities to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Many children are not diagnosed early and end up waiting for
the help they need to thrive in social and educational settings. Early intervention treatment has been shown to improve a child’s development.
Services can help a child to talk, walk and interact with others.

What signs should a parent look for?

There are some developmental milestones children are expected to reach by certain ages. For example, by two months, babies should be
smiling at people, briefly self-sooth, make gurgling sounds, react to sounds, pay attention to faces, follow objects with their eyes, and hold his
or her head up and push up while having tummy time. We will provide you guidance on expected milestones. Parents who feel that their child is
not developing at the right pace should make an appointment with League City Pediatrics for a well-child visit and developmental screening.

Autism Screening M CHAT CHECKLIST

The M CHAT is a developmental checklist for parents, specifically designed to assess for autism spectrum disorder. The checklist is available in
our office and will be handed out at the 18-month and 2 year old well checks. If you have any concerns for your child in the 18-24 month age
group, feel free to download this form, fill it out, and bring it in to us to assess it.

Sports and School Physical

Sports exams are physical assessments for youths and teens who are planning to join a competitive sport or activity to ensure they are fit and
healthy to participate. The exam is quick but comprehensive with the young athlete’s entire body and overall wellbeing and conditioning under
review. The goals of a sports exam are to determine or detect the following:

• Overall health of the athlete
• Present fitness level of the athlete
• Conditions which could lead to injury
• Any existing injuries
• Development and physical maturity of the athlete
• Congenital anomalies which could increase risk of injury

Why do youth need a physical before joining a sports team?

Many of the states have a legal requirement for young athletes to have a medical assessment before a sports season begins. Young people
develop and change at a rapid pace, and an athlete’s health and well-being can be affected. While routine checkups provide the opportunity
to monitor a child’s development, sports physicals supplement annual exams and focus specifically on his or her physical health and ability to
participate in sport. The requirements for sports participation vary depending on school district and state; most sports teams require an annual
physical and vaccination record to protect the overall well-being of the sports teams and to protect the overall health of the young athlete.

What is the difference between an annual exam and a sports physical?

The sports physical specifically checks a young athlete’s health and physical condition to ensure that he or she is fit and capable of participating
in a specific sport without undue risk of injury. An annual physical exam monitors the development and health of a child and is an opportunity
for developmental as well as medical screenings. In both physicals, the doctor will perform a variety of tests and checks to record the child’s
progress. Many of the tests and measurements administered during a sports exam are similar to those of a standard annual physical but are
reviewed with a specific view as to how the results indicate the child will perform in his or her sport.