When you or your child has a track record of good health, it may be tempting to skip the yearly doctor’s appointment. But annual physicals are one of the most important tools families have for promoting long-term health. When families make it a priority to visit their physician regularly, they are creating opportunities to note concerns early before they become larger issues. Consistency establishes a valuable partnership between patient and provider that can last a lifetime.
Annalee Paul, MD, a pediatrician with Children’s Memorial Hermann Pediatrics Conroe, explains why annual checkups matter at every age, what to expect during a visit and how these touchpoints help build healthier families.
Why Preventive Care Matters
Annual wellness visits are about more than shots and checking a box. They give providers a chance to track growth and development, update vaccinations and address small concerns before they get bigger. Dr. Paul says, “Anytime we catch a problem early, it helps short-term to correct the issue but also prevents small things from becoming big things.”
Some health concerns, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, may not cause symptoms until they become serious. For example, the CDC states that nearly half of adults in the U.S. have hypertension, with many not knowing they have this condition until it’s identified at a routine appointment. This is why preventive visits are so crucial.
What to Expect at a Well Visit
Each wellness exam includes a mix of measurements, screenings and conversations tailored to age and life stage. In general, families can expect:
- Measurements: height, weight and blood pressure (for ages 3+); head size for babies
- Physical exam: ears, eyes, nose and overall health check
- Immunizations: making sure vaccines are up to date
- Lifestyle review: eating habits, sleep patterns, school performance and family dynamics
- Prevention tips: reminders about car seats/seatbelts, helmets, sun safety and household safety
“It is so important to have that touchpoint, that check-in, as opposed to just seeing somebody when they are sick,” Dr. Paul says. “A wellness visit may even be more important than when you have a cold, because they can help your physician note less-than-ideal trends in your health.”
How Visits Change with Age
Wellness visits look different depending on whether the patient is a baby, school-aged child, teen or adult. What stays the same is the goal: keeping each family member on track physically, emotionally and developmentally. Here’s a rundown of how the wellness checks will change as your child matures:
- Infants and toddlers: growth, development, sleep and nutrition monitoring; screenings for conditions like anemia or lead exposure; guidance for parents on potty training and behavior questions
- School-aged children: vision and hearing checks, growth trends, early discussions about puberty and screenings for learning difficulties like dyslexia
- Teenagers: sports physicals, metabolic screening and conversations about mental health, healthy habits and transitioning to adult care
And don’t forget, annual visits don’t stop with pediatrics. Adults also need regular checkups to keep tabs on blood pressure, diabetes risk, cholesterol and other conditions that can progress silently until suddenly they’re bad enough to cause real harm.
Building Healthy Habits
Annual checkups are also a chance to focus on prevention in a broader sense, reinforcing the daily habits that help kids and teens thrive. Providers use these visits to talk about the connection between lifestyle choices and long-term health: everything from how much sleep a child gets to how many hours they spend on their phone. These conversations give families a roadmap for building healthy routines and, when needed, a gentle nudge to adjust.
Dr. Paul often reminds teens (and their parents) of a few simple but healthy routines:
- Limiting daily recreational screen time to no more than two hours each day
- Staying active by engaging in at least one hour of physical activity each day
- Prioritizing high-quality sleep, especially by putting phones away an hour before bedtime
- Eating fruits and vegetables regularly and taking a daily multivitamin if needed
These visits also normalize sensitive conversations, whether about puberty, mental health or embarrassing symptoms. “We talk about poop all day long,” Dr. Paul says with a laugh. “It is so incredibly important to be honest with your health care provider. Otherwise, all the information we gather to help your child stay healthy will be skewed.”
The Big Picture
Ultimately, annual physicals are less about checking a box and more about investing in long-term health. They allow families to partner with a trusted provider, establish open lines of communication and catch problems early.
“We want to be their partner and make sure their kids are healthy, happy and protected,” Dr. Paul says. “A wellness visit is not a needless appointment: it’s a chance to stay on top of things and keep families thriving.”
