School Physicals: What To Expect

How a school physical from your pediatrician in Raleigh, NC, can protect your child’s health

Before your child attends school, your child will need a school physical. Routine school physicals are important for many reasons. They protect your child’s health, and the health of others. The pediatricians at White Oak Pediatrics in Raleigh, NC, provide a wide range of children’s medical services, including school physicals to protect your child’s health.

School physicals are easy, but they do require several steps. During your child’s physical, the pediatrician will:

• Record a thorough medical history, including recent illnesses, injuries, and hospitalizations.
• Make a record of your family’s medical history including serious diseases and conditions like heart problems, asthma, and others.
• Measure and record your child’s height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.
• Listen to your child’s heartbeat and breathing.
• Check your child’s ears, eyes, nose, and throat for evidence of illness or infection.
• Perform vision and hearing screenings.
• Order lab tests or imaging studies that may be needed to perform a complete physical examination.

If your child’s school physical also includes a sports physical, your pediatrician will also check your child’s muscular strength, flexibility, and balance to make sure your child is healthy enough to play a sport.

A school physical also includes making sure your child is current on all immunizations. You must show proof of immunizations before your child attends school, and your pediatrician can provide you with the documentation you need.

According to the CDC, required immunizations from birth to 18 years old include:

• Hepatitis B
• Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis
• Haemophilus influenza type B
• Polio
• Pneumococcal conjugate
• Rotavirus
• Measles, mumps, rubella
• Chickenpox
• Hepatitis A
• Human papillomavirus
• Meningococcal conjugate
• Flu
• Covid

School physicals are an important way to keep on top of your child's health. To learn more about the importance of school physicals and how they can protect your child’s health, talk with the experts. Call the pediatricians at White Oak Pediatrics in Raleigh, NC. You can reach them in the office by calling (919) 787-0266, so call now.