Keeping Your Child Healthy During the Covid-19 Quarantine and Beyond

Schools have moved online, businesses are closed, and social distancing rules are in effect all over the country. Stopping the spread of the Covid-19 virus has been on the forefront of everyone’s minds. With all of the upheaval in our society over the last month, it’s understandable that many of us would have let well-visits slip a bit. Some may even fear the potential exposure of their child to Covid-19 during a visit. Here’s why it’s very important to get back on track.

Increased Risk of Contracting Other Diseases

Due to the success of immunizations, we don’t tend to hear about certain diseases as often as we once did. Unfortunately, lower incidence of them doesn’t make those diseases less of a threat to your child. Some diseases, common in other countries, are frequently carried back into the country by international travelers. If children are not vaccinated, exposure to these diseases can put your child at significant risk. Complications of these diseases can include amputation of limbs, paralysis of limbs, hearing loss, convulsions, brain damage, and death. Measles, mumps, polio, and whooping cough – as well as others - result in hospitalizations and deaths every year.

What is Immunity?

The immune system recognizes viruses that enter the body as foreign. These germs are called antigens. The immune system then produces proteins called antibodies to fight the antigens. When a child is first infected with a specific antigen, their body may not be able to produce the antibodies in time to ward off the disease. The child still becomes ill and hopefully recovers. For years afterward, if the body encounters that antigen again, it will produce antibodies to prevent becoming ill a second time. This protection is called immunity and immunity is what vaccines offer.

immunity illustration

The fact is that a vaccine is a safer substitute for your child’s first exposure to a disease. Immunizations provide protection to a child without the child having to experience the sickness. By being vaccinated, children are able to develop immunity without contracting the diseases that the vaccines prevent.

“The legacy of COVID-19 must not include the global resurgence of other killers like measles and polio.”  - Dr Seth Berkley on COVID-19: massive impact on lower-income countries threatens more disease outbreaks

Our world does not need to see an increase of vaccine-preventable diseases in the aftermath of Covid-19. If your child is due for vaccination, please don’t postpone your appointment due to Covid-19 concerns. Our office has strict sanitation and infection-prevention measures in place:

  • All appointments that can be conducted via telemed are scheduled as such to decrease foot traffic in the office. We are mainly seeing well-child appointments and very few sick appointments.
  • In addition, appointments are being spaced out to also help decrease the amount of people in the office at one time.
  • Parents are welcome to call us when they arrive in the parking lot to notify us they have arrived, and we can inform them whether they can come in immediately or wait in the car until they can be brought back to a room.
  • Exam rooms are cleaned thoroughly after every patient visit.

At this time, we strongly recommend that children 2 years and younger keep their well-child visit schedule, as children in this age group are the ones to be most affected by missed immunizations and delayed monitoring of growth and development.

Growth and Developmental Issues Need to be Addressed Sooner, Rather than Later

“Well-child visits aren't just about immunizations. We also monitor a child's growth and development, so delayed or missed well-child visits may result in missed opportunities to detect growth and developmental issues.” – Dr. Danielle Leung

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends well-child visits as vital support to children’s health and well-being. Well-child visits for infants and children up to five years of age allow physicians to screen for medical challenges and emotional health in addition to growth and developmental issues. These visits also foster a relationship between the child’s physician and the parents or caregivers, creating a team of support for the child’s well-being.

happy baby at a well-child visit

Schedule of Well-Child Visits:

The first week visit (3 to 5 days old) 1 month old 2 months old
4 months old 6 months old 9 months old
12 months old 15 months old 18 months old
2 years old (24 months) 2 ½ years old (30 months) 3 years old
4 years old 5 years old 6 years old
7 years old 8 years old 9 years old
10 years old 11 years old 12 years old
13 years old 14 years old 15 years old
16 years old 17 years old 18 years old
19 years old 20 years old 21 years old

 

In addition to immunizations, well-child visits track growth and development. Your child’s nutrition, growth milestones, social behavior, and learning are noted. Parents can discuss any concerns they have about their child’s health and well-being with their child’s physician on a regular basis, allowing for intervention measures to be taken in a timely manner if needed.

We’re here to support your child’s well-being, both during this crisis and in the years after. If your child is due for their well-child visit, please schedule their appointment today. Concerns? Please call 469-425-3600. We are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding how your child will be kept safe during the visit.