To ensure that your child grows up healthy and strong, they need to see a pediatrician for regular check-ups, screenings, and vaccines. These well-child visits are incredibly important for your child’s health and wellbeing and begin within the first week after your child is born. Since your child will be visiting a pediatrician regularly, you must find one that fits your family’s needs. Even before your baby is born you should shop around for a pediatrician so that once your baby comes into the world you can start giving them the routine check-ups and care they need for a healthy and long life.

• 1 month old
• 2 months old
• 4 months old
• 6 months old
• 9 months old
• 12 months old
• 15 months old
• 18 months old
• 24 months old
• 30 months old
• 3 years old

So, your child’s teeth just started to come in. We know that this can be an exciting milestone for parents. Of course, this also means considering your child’s oral health. Just as you brush and floss your teeth every day, you will now need to begin brushing your child’s teeth. While the techniques and practices will be a bit different and probably less time-consuming (seeing as your child probably only has one or two teeth at the moment), here are some tips for how to brush your child’s teeth properly,

• Even before your child’s teeth start to erupt it’s important to keep their gums healthy and clean by wiping them with a soft, damp cloth after each feeding and right before bedtime. Your child will get their first tooth between 6-14 months.
• Yes, even children’s teeth can develop decay. As soon as the tooth is formed it can develop decay, so it’s important that you start brushing it as soon as you see it.
• Purchase a child-sized toothbrush from your local drugstore and wet the soft-bristled toothbrush with water to brush your child’s tooth or teeth (at this point you don’t need toothpaste).
• Your child won’t start needing toothpaste until they are 2 years old. From 2-3 years old your child only needs toothpaste the size of a grain of rice in order to clean their teeth. After 3 years old, you can upgrade to a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
• Just as you do for your own teeth, you should also brush your child’s teeth twice a day (once in the morning and again at night right before going to bed).
• Use soft, circular motions when brushing the teeth and the gums. Again, just as you do your own teeth, you should brush for a minimum of two minutes. Don’t forget to brush their tongue and roof of their mouth, too.
• We know that your child may not fully understand the brushing process, so it’s a good idea to tell them what you are doing and the importance of brushing their teeth. Even though they can’t brush their own teeth yet it’s still great to show them how to brush so that when it’s time to start brushing their own teeth they understand how to do it.
• Most children can start brushing their teeth around 7-8 years old, but still need to be supervised by an adult until around 10-11 years old.

Have questions about caring for your baby’s developing smile? Keeping your child’s smile healthy is so important for their development and practicing good oral hygiene at home will ensure that your child’s smile stays healthy.

Parents want nothing more than their children to be healthy and happy. This applies to every element of their well-being, including their eyes! Your pediatrician recommends that all children receive a comprehensive eye exam by the age of one. These tests detect any problems that require correction. Prolonging an exam can damage your child’s eyes for life. 

• At birth: this is performed right away on your child, as part of the newborn physical assessment.
• 6 months: your pediatrician evaluates your child’s eyes at their regular appointment. 
• 3.5 years old: at your child’s appointment, the pediatrician tests their eyes and also their visual acuity. 
• 5 years old: a standard assessment performed at a pediatric appointment. 

Below are some tips for how to keep your children safe, healthy, and happy.

With everything going on right now, more and more parents are focusing on ways to keep their children healthy. Here at Pediatric Associates of Davidson County in Nashville, TN, our pediatricians are committed to ensuring that each and every child gets the proper care they need to grow up healthy and strong. Here are some tips to help keep your child healthy all year long:

Nutrition

What your child consumes on a daily basis can have a profound impact on their health. Since children are growing by leaps and bounds, it’s particularly important that they are receiving everything they need from their diet to reach these developmental milestones. While you do want to limit sugar and junk food, you don’t have to ban these foods completely (they can be a nice reward).

On a daily basis, children should be receiving protein, fruits, veggies, complex carbs, and healthy fats (think avocados and nuts, not processed foods and snacks). Also, opt for healthy snack options (e.g. almond butter on celery or hummus and carrots) rather than reaching for cookies or chips.

Physical exercise

Children and teens should be active for at least one hour every day. This is why it’s a good idea to get them involved in extracurricular sports to increase their activity levels throughout the week. Get their hearts pumping, reduce their risk for obesity, and promote strong, healthy bones and muscles.

Teach proper handwashing

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about the importance of handwashing lately. Knowing how to properly wash your hands is crucial for preventing the spread of germs. Your child should be washing their hands,

• Before eating
• After using the bathroom
• After playing with pets
• After sneezing, coughing or blowing their nose

Immunizations and Check-ups

It’s important that your child visits their Nashville pediatrician for routine checkups, immunizations, physicals, and other preventive tools to keep them healthy. Vaccines are particularly important for protecting children from dangerous and potentially life-threatening diseases. The CDC provides online vaccine schedules from birth to 18 years old here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/schedules/index.html

Prioritize Your Child's Health

Now more than ever, it’s important that you are keeping your children up to date on their immunizations here in Nashville, TN. To schedule your child’s next checkup or to inquire about the next round of immunizations they need, don’t hesitate to call Pediatric Associates of Davidson County at (615) 329-3595. Your child’s health is our top priority!