Call us at 240-341-1090
Jennifer Burns, MD, FAAP
Adrienne Harmel, CPNP, IBCLC
Amy Mathew, MD, FAAP
Well Child Visits – The Early Years
In pediatrics, we focus a lot on well child visits. Well child visits occur at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 2 years, 2 ½ years, 3 years and then annually. During the first 2 years we measure weight, length and head circumference at well child visits. Once your child is 3 years old we will check their blood pressure at well child visits in addition to measuring their weight and height. We also monitor your child’s development at each well child visit – sometimes this is done verbally and other times it is done using a formal developmental tool. For formal developmental screening we use the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and the MCHAT-R. Well visits give us the opportunity to get to know your child and family and to make sure that your child is growing and developing appropriately. It also is the time when we give your child immunizations based on the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control’s recommended immunization schedule. Additionally, well child visits are a time for us to provide anticipatory guidance about what is going on at that particular age and to answer any questions that you may have about your child.
Well Child Visits – The Teenage Years
Once your child becomes a teenager, we encourage them to take ownership over their health and will do part of the visit with you present and part of the visit with your teenager alone. During these visits we continue to monitor their growth and blood pressure. After discussing it with you and your teenager, we will administer the recommended immunizations. We will continue to provide anticipatory guidance to you and your teenager and will continue to answer any questions that you may have about your teenager. This also is often the time when we fill out forms to participate in sports at school.
Newborn Visit
This visit generally takes place 1 to 3 days after your baby is discharged from the hospital. During this visit your baby will be seen in our newborn room and we will measure your baby’s weight, length and head circumference. We will review the prenatal history and hospital course and will discuss how things have been going since your baby left the hospital with a focus on feeding.
Sick Visits
Every day that we are open we save appointments in our schedule for “same day sick appointments”. We save morning sick appointments for things that came up overnight and we save the end of the day sick appointments for things that come up during the day. During these visits we will measure the pertinent vital signs, discuss what is going on (ie. take a history) and then perform a physical exam. Then based on the history and physical, we will decide if any tests need to be performed. In the office we are able to check for strep, flu (influenza), and anemia. We can also perform urinalysis. If additional testing such as xrays or other blood work is needed, then we will refer your child to a local laboratory or imaging facility.
Visits for Immunizations
If your child was unable to receive the recommended immunizations at his or her well child visit due to illness or another reason, then you can schedule an appointment just for your child to receive their immunizations.
If your child is not due for a well child visit in the fall (the time when it is recommended that your child receive the flu vaccine), then you can schedule an appointment just for your child to receive the flu (influenza) vaccine.
Pre-Op Evaluations
If your child is having surgery, his or her surgeon may request that your child have a pre-operative evaluation prior to his or her surgery. We provide these types of evaluations in our office and fill out the necessary pre-operative paperwork.
Follow-Up Visits for Acute Illnesses, Injuries and Concussions
If your child was seen in the Emergency Department or Urgent Care or was hospitalized, we offer appointments to follow up on how your child is doing and to ensure that your child’s illness, injury or condition is resolving.
Sports Physicals
They generally can be done as part of your child’s annual check-up, but if your child needs a sports physical at another time of year, then we can provide a visit focused on clearing your child to play sports and filling out the necessary paperwork.
ADHD Consults
If you or your child’s teacher is concerned that your child might have ADHD, we are able to evaluate that concern further in our office. This is an extended visit, generally lasting 45-60 minutes. We request that you and your child’s teacher(s) fill out initial Vanderbilt forms (they are available on our website under “forms”) prior to the visit. We also request that you bring the results of any testing that the school has done or that you have had done outside of the school. We will review you child’s medical, developmental, social and educational histories during this visit. If your child meets the criteria for ADHD, then treatment options, including medication, will be discussed. If your child does not meet the criteria for ADHD, then other explanations for their symptoms will be discussed and recommendations on how to help them will be made.
Behavioral & Developmental Consults
If you are concerned about your child’s behavior or development, we offer extended visits to discuss your concerns further. We will ask you to describe your concerns when you are requesting an appointment, so that the appropriate amount of time is allotted for the appointment, so that we know that your concern is something that we can help you and your child with versus referring your child directly to a specialist, and so that we may request that the appropriate screening questionnaires be filled out prior to the visit.
Follow-Up Visits for Chronic Conditions
During your child’s annual well child visit, we will follow-up on any chronic illnesses or conditions that your child may have, but some conditions will require additional follow-up visits throughout the year. If your child is taking ADHD medication and we are managing your child’s medication, then your child will have ADHD follow-up visits every 1 to 4 months (the time frame will depend on how well your child is doing and if your child is on a stable dose of medication). Some other conditions that may require follow-up include asthma, developmental concerns, behavioral concerns, anemia, and constipation.
Urbana Pediatrics
3534A Urbana Pike
Frederick, MD 21704
Phone: 240-341-1090
Fax: 240-877-7110
Hours
Monday: 9 am–6 pm
Tuesday: 9 am–5 pm
Wednesday: 9 am–5 pm
Thursday: 9 am–6 pm
Friday: 9am–4pm
Saturday: 9am–12pm