Do you take your kids for regular checkups?

[Deleted]

I had parent teacher conferences yesterday and my younger son's teachers are worried about his legs.  He has knock knees and swings his lower legs way out to the sides when he runs.  Needless to say, he's quite clumsy.

Anyhow, they said, "Well, I wouldn't rush out and make an appointment with a pediatrician, but maybe just have them check it out at his next check up".  I'm like, ok...his last "well child" visit was at age 2 for shots.  His next is at age 5 before starting Kindergarten and I hadn't planned on taking him in before that for anything unless there was something wrong, so I guess I will be rushing out to make an appointment for the legs.   

Older son had his first physical since age 5 this year at age 11 for Boy Scouts and it's good for 2 years.

[Deleted]

Mine get one every year because the DCP we use over the summer requires the kids to have a physical for enrollment. 

[Deleted]

Yes. But then homeschooling in PA I have to comply with certain med screenings... It's different different years, but hearing, eye, height and weight, physical... A checkup cover all of that so I just do an annual and be done with it.

[Deleted]

I went looking through the EOBs for the year to see what the plain physical cost.  Every visit to the ped is $129 with me paying a $25 copay except for the physical, that one I only owed $17.  So I guess they cut you a little break on the copay for physicals.

Vision and hearing screens they do at the school every year, they weren't part of the physical. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

Yep, mine go in every year, around their b-day now that we're not on a vac. schedule.  For us, they're free.

I can't fathom not getting kids in for an annual checkup.  I'm not saying you're wrong - it's just that my Mom took us all every year for them and until we were like 15ish, skipping them wasn't an option.  So "my" normal is every year. 

[muttleynfelix]

We do well child visits once a year after 2. Insurance should still cover them.

[The Captain]

DD has a very minor septal defect, so yes - we take her every year.

The cats get in every other year or so.

[Deleted]

I don't ever remember going to the doctor when I was a kid unless I was bleeding (badly) or needed shots. Needless to say, I wasn't real fond of doctors as a kid.  LOL

If they're free (or almost), I might start, but man, they're there at least once a year anyhow for ear infections or pink eye or fingers in the bike chain kind of thing.  And, I don't know if this is unusual, but whenever they're there they end up getting a pretty good going over that covers just about everything they did in the physical (minus the turn your head and cough part that shocked DS quite a bit).  

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2013 11:02:29 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I had parent teacher conferences yesterday and my younger son's teachers are worried about his legs.  He has knock knees and swings his lower legs way out to the sides when he runs.  Needless to say, he's quite clumsy.

    

You know what they do to a race horse like that................................................

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2013 11:47:43 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Oct 11, 2013 11:02:29 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I had parent teacher conferences yesterday and my younger son's teachers are worried about his legs.  He has knock knees and swings his lower legs way out to the sides when he runs.  Needless to say, he's quite clumsy.

    

You know what they do to a race horse like that................................................

Professional football might not be in his future, but he can probably still handle being an accountant. 

[jeep108]

 I take my daughter every year around her birthday.  Get her a flu shot and her asthma meds refilled for the year. They do a physical while we're there.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

He has knock knees and swings his lower legs way out to the sides when he runs. Needless to say, he's quite clumsy.

He probably needs to be seen by a peds orthopod, MPL. There are some abnormal developmental problems that most pediatricians can't diagnose.

[Deleted]

nope....pretty much stopped after age 5.  now my kids just go to urgent care if there's something wrong.  Took DD to the health department for her tetanus shot that she needed for college.   They get dental cleanings twice a year and youngest still has orthodontia.  go to the eye doctor when they tell me they need to (or in the case of DS1 when he went for his learner's and couldn't read the screen with his one eye).

[zibazinski]

Back when I was a kid, insurance was for major things, not doctor visits, so no, I rarely went. Only if I needed shots for something. So I made sure my kids had a regular pediatrician and yearly check ups. Also, I kept track of their immunization records so they didn't get repeats of shots they already had and would know when to get their tetanus booster. I'm the parent I wish I had had.

[Deleted]

I'm the parent I wish I had had.

Good for you, zib! 

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2013 12:22:11 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

He has knock knees and swings his lower legs way out to the sides when he runs. Needless to say, he's quite clumsy.

He probably needs to be seen by a peds orthopod, MPL. There are some abnormal developmental problems that most pediatricians can't diagnose.

Can I just schedule with one or do you need to be referred by your primary doctor for stuff like that?  We don't have any orthopods that just do pediatrics in our town, but I'm only 45 miles from Mayo, so I'm sure I could find a dozen of them there.

[jeep108]

When we had a PPO I never had to have a referral to go to a specialist.  Now with the HMO we need a referral for a specialist.  You probably should check with your insurance company.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Depends on your insurance company. Mine does not require a referral for an ortho consult but some do. Otherwise, just call and ask for an appointment for a consult. It might be worth a trip to Mayo to get him checked out.

[Deleted]

This makes me feel better....



Causes

Knock knees is a normal part of growth and development in children. Most often, the condition appears when a child is 2 to 3 years old and tends to disappear on its own by age 6. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, by puberty, knock knees disappears.

Conditions known to cause knock knees include osteomyelitis, bone infection and rickets--a disease that results in soft or weak bones. A shinbone injury, which can interfere with the growth of bones, may also lead to the condition in children, the Children's Hospital Boston says.
Diagnosis

The distinctive appearance of knock knees allows a doctor to quickly diagnose the condition. A doctor will review a child's complete medical history, conduct a physical examination and observe the position of the child's ankles, knees and legs. Medical professionals will measure the distance between the inner ankle bones and take x-rays to assess the extent of the bone deformity.
Treatment

In most instances, knock knees requires little treatment. As part of the growth process, the condition normally disappears by puberty. However, in severe cases, a doctor may prescribe a night brace to straighten the knee, orthopedic shoes to relieve foot fatigue or surgery to cut and straighten the bone, according to the Children's Hospital Boston.
Complications

Knock knees can make it difficult for a child to participate in physical activities such as running. While rare, some children may experience difficulty walking. If left untreated, the condition can lead to arthritis in the knee. Dealing with the distinct appearance that comes with the condition may also impact a child's self esteem.

Read more: www.livestrong.com/article/249373-knock-knees-in-children/#ixzz2hR6kIw1x

[skubikky]

First go and have him get a regular physical exam.  Every year.
Problems can arise as kids grow and keeping track of that is important.
I took my two every year, whether they needed shots or not.  Did this through high school and until they go their shots for college.

I'd find the best pediatric orthopedist I could get a name for at Mayo(you're fortunate to be close).    make the appt and let an expert do the evaluation instead of
messing around with a doc who isn't a specialist.  Cut to the chase kind of thing.

[Deleted]

Get him a white jumpsuit and he can be a skeleton for Halloween! 

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2013 12:45:13 GMT -5 skubikky said:

First go and have him get a regular physical exam.  Every year.
Problems can arise as kids grow and keeping track of that is important.
I took my two every year, whether they needed shots or not.  Did this through high school and until they go their shots for college.

I'd find the best pediatric orthopedist I could get a name for at Mayo(you're fortunate to be close).    make the appt and let an expert do the evaluation instead of
messing around with a doc who isn't a specialist.  Cut to the chase kind of thing.

shots for college?  all my DD needed was a tetanus booster.

[milee]

Shots for college probably vary depending on what your state has required up to that point.

For example, in Florida, the Meningitis vaccination isn't required for schoolchildren, but many pediatricians recommend that kids going off to college get it because they've seen an increase in the number of cases of Meningitis in dorms.

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2013 13:27:26 GMT -5 milee said:

Shots for college probably vary depending on what your state has required up to that point.

For example, in Florida, the Meningitis vaccination isn't required for schoolchildren, but many pediatricians recommend that kids going off to college get it because they've seen an increase in the number of cases of Meningitis in dorms.

yes, meningitis vaccine was recommended but I declined.

for her school in VA, tetanus within the last 5 years was the only thing required

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

This makes me feel better....

The knock knees don't bug me, but the splaying of the legs do. That can be a sign of quite a few skeletal abnormalities - some of which are correctable.

I can't begin to tell the number of parents of kids who come onto my hip group, who take their kids to a pediatrician and they keep telling the parents that there is nothing wrong with the kid. While some peds are good at detecting skeletal abnormalities, in my sampling those are rare.

That is why I suggest that you see a specialist from the beginning, and Mayo does have some very good orthopods. I just don't know any pediatric orthopods there though (I do know of a couple in Houston though). Mayo would have been my Plan B if Seattle hadn't panned out for me.

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2013 13:38:49 GMT -5 @anne81 said:

I think they are recommending meningitis now for college kids that live in dorms.

yup they do...but we declined

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2013 13:49:16 GMT -5 @anne81 said:

Would you mind if I ask why?  Meningitis scares the crap out of me.

because I can count on one hand the number of times each of my kids has been sick since age 2.  The last time I was sick was when my now 15 year old shared his strep throat with me when he was 4.  We are a disgustingly healthy family.  My kids have never had a flu shot or the flu.  I had it once when I was pregnant. 

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2013 13:38:59 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

This makes me feel better....

The knock knees don't bug me, but the splaying of the legs do. That can be a sign of quite a few skeletal abnormalities - some of which are correctable.

I can't begin to tell the number of parents of kids who come onto my hip group, who take their kids to a pediatrician and they keep telling the parents that there is nothing wrong with the kid. While some peds are good at detecting skeletal abnormalities, in my sampling those are rare.

That is why I suggest that you see a specialist from the beginning, and Mayo does have some very good orthopods. I just don't know any pediatric orthopods there though (I do know of a couple in Houston though). Mayo would have been my Plan B if Seattle hadn't panned out for me.

Great, now I'm nervous again.  I was told I do need a referral, so he has an appointment with a normal ped in town on November 6th.  So, if he tells me he's fine I shouldn't believe him and insist on the referral? 

[Wisconsin Beth]

Oct 11, 2013 13:38:59 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

This makes me feel better....

The knock knees don't bug me, but the splaying of the legs do. That can be a sign of quite a few skeletal abnormalities - some of which are correctable.

I can't begin to tell the number of parents of kids who come onto my hip group, who take their kids to a pediatrician and they keep telling the parents that there is nothing wrong with the kid. While some peds are good at detecting skeletal abnormalities, in my sampling those are rare.

That is why I suggest that you see a specialist from the beginning, and Mayo does have some very good orthopods. I just don't know any pediatric orthopods there though (I do know of a couple in Houston though). Mayo would have been my Plan B if Seattle hadn't panned out for me.

I told our family doc that my son had "weird/ugly toes" at either his 1 year or 18 month wbv.  She took a look and immediately sent us to a specialist as she agreed with my assessment.    The pedi-ortho (or whatever he was) took one look and said he's got curly toes and bunions.  He did x-rays to be sure there wasn't anything else and we talked about the options.  Then I went home and talked to DH about it.  And everyone else who came near me.      What I discovered is that like 1/3 of the people in my life (work, friends, etc.) have curly toes. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

I'd tell him you're concerned about it and want him evaluated by a specialist.