If your child has a clear sports physical, skipping their next well-child visit may be tempting, but pediatricians urge parents to avoid making that mistake.
While a sports physical is required for participation in athletics, it’s not intended to be the comprehensive annual check-up kids need.
“The well-child physical, when I think of it, I think of it being more of an umbrella and the sports physical part being a smaller part under that umbrella,” said Dr. Shoshana Gordon.
Gordon, a pediatrician at Henry Ford Health, says the focus of a sports physical is more narrow.
“Sports physical is making sure that if the child is physically fit enough to participate in sports safely, and that includes a look at their own body and also the family history as well,” Gordon said.
A comprehensive well-child exam includes checks on developmental milestones, missing vaccines, nutrition and sleep habits, and the child’s mental health.
Gordon said their well-child exam consists of depression screening and anxiety screening for all of their teenagers.
The exam also allows your child and their doctor to build a stronger relationship.
“I get to catch up with them,” Gordon said. “I know their family histories. I know them really well, and then we talk about all the well visits and the sports physical part of it all, so I get to watch them grow.”
The connection between their physician and themselves could be an opportunity that is missed if they have to get that sports physical somewhere else.
“I have some kiddos that will go to the urgent cares for this, and urgent cares are wonderful, wonderful resources that we have to do sports physicals, but you’re not really getting some of that continuity of care when you have this relationship with your doctor,” Gordon said.
Suppose you do get a sports physical at an urgent care or another location. In that case, Gordon says it’s beneficial to ensure your regular pediatrician receives a copy of those results so that information can be taken into account at your child’s next visit.