At Southside Medical Center in Atlanta, GA, our goal is to provide excellent healthcare to underserved men, women, children, and families living in the Atlanta area. We offer exceptional healthcare and related services to meet the needs of patients of all ages. Those looking for an office specializing in pediatrics can schedule appointments with our team to feel confident about their children’s health and wellness from birth throughout their adolescent years.
At What Age Should Children First Visit a Pediatrician?
Pediatrics is a branch of healthcare designated to treat children as early as birth through their teens. Children should visit a pediatrician shortly after birth to begin regular well-checks. Well-baby checks are the earliest wellness checks for infants and include certain screening tests, vaccinations, and growth, height, and weight measurements. These visits can begin as early as three to five days after birth and are scheduled every month to a few months and eventually turn into well-child visits.
Scheduling Frequency
The wellness appointment scheduling frequency for babies, children, and adolescents changes over time, with the highest frequency of visits occurring during the first year of life. A typical schedule consists of well-checks at one, two, four, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, and eighteen months old. After two and a half years, annual well-child visits should be scheduled with a pediatrician annually until adulthood.
Well Checks vs. Illness and Injury Appointments
An office specializing in pediatrics will offer well checks and illness or injury appointments. Well-checks are preventative in nature and may include immunizations, but overall, they will focus on checking overall development and health. They also provide parents with comprehensive health and wellness evaluations so they can feel confident about their child’s health and take the necessary steps to address any issues if or when they arise.
Illness and Injury Visits
Well-visits are common reasons to visit an office specializing in pediatrics, but so are illness and injury appointments. When you choose Southside Medical Center to meet your family’s healthcare needs, you can schedule well checks and illness or injury appointments and be seen by the same team of medical professionals who know you and your child and are acquainted with their medical history.
Pediatrics and Teen Healthcare at Southside Medical Center
At Southside Medical Center, we offer various services to ensure that children of all ages remain healthy and thrive during their developmental years. In addition to general healthcare and well-checks, we also offer illness and injury treatments. We treat children from infancy through age 17 and aim to provide the highest quality care.
Our highly-trained pediatrics department staff work closely with parents to ensure they feel confident about their child’s health, understand necessary treatment options, and are well-informed to make the very best decisions on their behalf.
Our Services
We offer comprehensive pediatrics services to meet the needs of patients looking for a pediatrician who can provide excellent care for children and adolescents of all ages. Our services include but are not limited to the following:
- Wellness exams
- Sports physicals
- Rashes
- Allergies
- Annual physicals
- Prescription refills
- Eye concerns
- Coughs
- Ear, nose, and throat issues
- Immunizations
- Fevers
Ways To Promote Your Child’s Health and Wellness
You play an essential role in your child’s overall health, and in preventing illness and injury. In addition to wellness exams and trusting your child’s health to the pediatrics team at Southside Medical Center, there are other factors to consider to help keep your child as healthy as possible as they grow.
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep quantity and quality are key to healthy development, a stable mood, and a child’s overall health and well-being. Sleep deprivation increases the risk of illness and weakens the immune system. Most children need anywhere from 10 to 16 hours of sleep daily, so set a routine bedtime to make this possible.
Develop Healthy Dietary Habits
Implementing fruits and vegetables into your child’s diet at a young age will help prevent and minimize disease and illness. A fruit and vegetable-rich diet is also high in fiber, which helps promote digestion and heart health and prevents constipation. It’s also important to give your child healthy, lean proteins, limit simple carbohydrates, sweets, and salty snack foods, and avoid artificial ingredients, preservatives, and chemicals as much as possible.
Implement an Exercise Regimen
Living an active lifestyle is key to optimal health, even for children. By making sure your children get some type of activity daily, you can help support their overall wellness by increasing circulation, promoting heart health, and helping them maintain a healthy weight. Learning the benefits of exercise early on in life will set them up for success in the long term.
Limit Sugar Intake
Sugar can be a child’s Achilles heel, so it’s important to limit sugar consumption at an early age. When a child’s diet isn’t filled with sugary foods, sugar won’t control them. When you take steps to prevent a sugar addiction, you’ll help them avoid inflammation and other health issues that can result from excess sugar consumption. Focus on giving your child healthy alternatives to sweets, like fruits and naturally sweetened options.
Schedule Regular Wellness Exams
Scheduling regular wellness exams can make all the difference in your child’s overall health. Your pediatrician will take every step to ensure your child is healthy and detect any potential issues before they become more complex medical conditions. At Southside Medical Center, our team is ready to provide you and your family with comprehensive healthcare so you can feel confident in your child’s health and your role in supporting their development.
Invest in Your Child’s Overall Health and Development
Taking steps to ensure that your child is healthy can feel stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. When you partner with our team, we’ll come alongside you. We can help ensure your child is healthy, and that you have everything you need to make the right decisions about their health and wellness. Contact us at Southside Medical Center in Atlanta, GA, to learn more about our pediatrics department and schedule your child’s next appointment.
