Doctors urge parents to not skip children's checkups during pandemic

Pediatricians report nervousness among parents across the Kansas City area and the country about bringing their children to doctor's offices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SURE WHO WILL BE CUT.PARENTS OF YOUNGCHILDREN MAY BEWEIGHING A BIG DECISIONAS YEARLY CHECKUPS ANDSCHOOL PHYSICALS AREFAST APPROACHING.SOME FAMILIES EXPRESSCONCERNS ABOUTPOTENTIALLY EXPOSINGKIDS TO COVID-19.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER JORDAN BETTSTALKED TO ONE MOM WHOWENT TO THE DOCTOR'SOFFICE TODAY.AMANDA BRADSHAW ISHERE AT CHILDREN'SMERCY BROADWAYCLINICS FOR HER SON'SBOWEN FIRST CHECK UP.Amanda Bradshaw, mom of twomonth old baby"They found some abnormalheart rhythms and ended uphaving a really fast heart rate.So, he got sent over tochildren's mercy."BECAUSE OF THAT, HESPENT TWO MONTHS INTHE N-I-C-U.Amanda Bradshaw, mom of twomonth old baby"Got to be a good boy andtake in most of his bottles andgot to go home."BUT, HIS TIME GOING TOTHE HOSPITAL ISN'T OVER.BOWEN IS DUE FOR HISFIRST SET OF SHOTS ANDHIS MOM WAS NERVOUSABOUT COMING INBECAUSE OF COVID-19.Amanda Bradshaw, mom of twomonth old baby"I am a high risk too withhaving high blood pressurenow."PEDIATRICIANS ARESEEING THISNERVOUSNESS ALLACROSS K-C AND AROUNDTHE NATION.Dr. George Phillips, DivisionDirectorfor General Pediatrics atChildren'sMercy"everything from our checkups even for children who arecalling in for same dayappointments.

We had abouta 65 percent decrease in ourclinic visits right off thebat."DR GEORGE PHILLIPS SAYSIT'S THE SMALL ONES LIKEBOWEN THAT NEED THOSEVITAL APPOINTMENTS.Dr. George Phillips, DivisionDirectorfor General Pediatrics atChildren'sMercy"We are worried about notgiving immunizations and therisk of infectious diseases likewhopping cough that's a bigone.

Measles is obviouslyanother one we would beconcerned about."THIS MOTHER SAYS SHE ISTHANKFUL THE HOSPITALIS PROTECTING FAMILIESWITH SOCIAL DISTANCINGSIGNS AND WEARINGMASKS.BRADSHAW SAYS WHILESHE WAS WORRIED, SHEKNOWS HER SON'S HEALTHCOMES FIRST.Amanda Bradshaw, mom of twomonth old baby"We gotta make the best outof the best of a worst situationand we will do what we needto do to get better, huhbuddy.