Starting at age 2, your child should get at least one checkup a year in Dr. Matney’s office, and when the time comes to enroll in preschool, kindergarten, and the first grade, your child will need school physicals to make sure they are healthy and growing and developing normally and are fully ready to learn. We will also complete all that school paperwork and update all those school booster shots to protect your kids from all those contagious and dangerous diseases out there. Kids will also need physicals and medical clearances for sports participation both inside and outside of school, including soccer teams, cheerleading, gymnastics, football, and summer camp.

After that, those once-a-year checkups remain critically important, as the elementary school years are the time when many problems start to show themselves, including hearing and vision problems, hyperactivity, ADD and ADHD, dyslexia, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, bedwetting, and chronic bowel problems. Childhood obesity is also huge problem these days, and the earlier that problem is identified, the easier it is to do something positive before it is too late. Chronic ear infections, sinus allergies, and asthma are among other chronic conditions that will need the expert management of an experienced and board-certified pediatrician like Dr. Matney. He has treated thousands of children with all these conditions and he has the experience required to thoroughly evaluate your child to find out what is really going on. He will work with you to recommend the treatment options that are best for you and your child to overcome these issues.

Unfortunately, school season is always the germ season, and when kids go back to school, sooner or later they will catch that cough, cold, or stomach flu, or else come down with an ear, sinus, throat, or chest infection of one sort or another. Those kids who have occasional mild asthma tend to get flare-ups when they get sick, and will need their treatments increased or updated. Parents need to know that their kids will get the best treatment possible to quickly get them back to good health, so they can get back to school and you can get back to work and life.