Back-To-School Physicals Still Matter
July 31, 2020
BY Luigi Baretto, M.D., AtlantiCare Physician Group Primary Care, Plus
Back-to-school time is just around the calendar.
Maybe you’re the parent of a son entering kindergarten. Your daughter might be starting her senior year in college.
Wherever your child is on the education journey, getting ready for back-to-school is important.
Your back-to-school shopping tradition will different. Face masks weren’t on the list of supplies last year.
Will you even need to buy a book bag? Are books obsolete?
Some are waiting to learn more details about schooling. Others say they haven’t decided whether they’ll send children to school.
Whether your child will be on-site in the classroom full or part-time or learning from home, making sure he or she has an annual physical is so important.
This is true of sports physicals, too.
I was a competitive swimmer from seventh grade through my senior year in high school. I spent many hours practicing with my teammates.
When I was a pre-med student in college I went to the gym.
Whether in the classroom, in the pool or at the gym, I was getting healthy interaction.
Every year – including long before I was diving into swimming – my parents made sure I had a visit with my pediatrician.
Now, some school sports are cancelled and others are on limited schedules. Parents can be conflicted, relieved and confused all at the same time.
They want their child and family to get back to “normal.”
They want information about how to keep their child and family safe.
This is another reason to book that appointment now. Your pediatrician or primary care provider can discuss your individual child or young adult’s unique physical and mental health and wellness needs.
Even within families, the healthiest option for one child could be different from what is best for his or her sibling.
Talk with your provider about how to minimize risks for you and your family.
In addition to uncertainty over timing and logistics of schooling, we know some individuals don’t get preventive care for themselves or their family because they are afraid of getting COVID.
Yet, they might participate in other social situations that put them and their families at significant risk. We’re prepared to care for you and your child safely.
As a physician and husband, I had been particularly concerned about how rushed we’d become as a society. This included that children and young adults were often over-scheduled.
I’ve seen the impacts on patients of all ages. Stress caused or worsened illnesses. People ate fast food rather than healthy food because it was a quick meal to slip into a schedule. I’d especially been wishing over the last few years that my patients, and all in society, could slow down and pay more attention to details.
In a way, the changes we are facing as individuals, communities, and a nation are giving us this opportunity.
As a new father, I am now even more keenly aware of challenges parents face. As we get through this trying time, we’re helping children learn to adapt and live healthy lives.
Embrace new back-to-school rituals. Help your child to get back to a regular sleeping schedule. Book that appointment with your pediatrician or family physicians. Or better yet, show your child how you can book the appointment online.
Young adults are among those least likely to have a designated primary care provider.
You’ll protect your child now, and teach your special student an important life, and potentially life-saving lesson, about the importance of preventive care.
