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How Preventive Screenings Differ for Adults and Kids
Parents will often bring their kids in for well visits and ask me to do blood work to check everything. As adults, we know that when we go in for our yearly physicals, blood work is done, and we expect it. But with kids, well, that doesn't happen.
Why not? Well, starting in adulthood, there are certain health maintenance requirements and screening guidelines set out by the United States Preventive Task Force based on age and risk factors. These include cancer screenings, cholesterol and diabetes screenings, and other blood work needed depending on what underlying health issues a person has.
When Is Blood Work Medically Necessary for Kids?
Kids are generally pretty healthy. We have started doing diabetes screenings if they meet certain criteria, like if they have persistent high blood pressure or they are obese for their age. But if they don't have any risk factors, there is a good chance that the labs will be normal. And not only that, the family's insurance is not going to pay for the blood work unless there is a medically indicated reason for the labs.
Cholesterol screenings are also done if a child is at risk. But again, if there's no medical need and the parents just want to know, insurance companies often do not cover these labs.
Why Pediatricians Avoid Unnecessary Blood Tests
Labs where the billing is for screening purposes are often rejected, and the parents will get a bill. We do not do blood work just because a parent wants their child's labs checked. Kids freak out, and some will get outright terrified at the mention of doing blood work, even if it's medically necessary.
Most screenings that are done in children are actually done by questionnaires, like developmental screenings for children ages 2 months through 5 years, autism screening for children ages 18 through 30 months, and depression screening for kids starting at age 12.
Unless the child is symptomatic, blood work is often not helpful. Kids haven't been alive long enough to have medical issues that require blood work to be done, unless labs are done to monitor certain conditions, like if your child has a thyroid problem picked up at birth, or we're looking for reasons as to why they aren't growing.
So if your pediatrician says blood work isn't needed and isn't medically necessary, know that there are good reasons as to why we can't do them.
More Answers to Your Questions on Keeping Your Kid Healthy
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