Pediatricians at Cook Children’s advise families not to wait until August to come in for a sports physical or the routine vaccines that incoming kindergarteners and seventh-graders need.

“Getting those updated physicals, immunization records and forms ready ahead of time is a good idea so that nothing is delayed,” said Bhavana Babber, M.D., who sees patients at Cook Children’s Pediatrics North Frisco.

Pediatrician offices can be jammed with students squeezing in their health checklist right before school starts. Dr. Babber compared it to the April frenzy for accountants.

“I like to refer to it as our tax season,” she said. “We 100% encourage early summertime appointments because we want to accommodate every single patient. Scheduling ahead of time can avoid that rush and give you time with your pediatrician to address any concerns.”

Doing a well-child visit earlier in the summer is a great chance for the pediatrician to measure growth and developmental milestones, Dr. Babber said. And if your child has an action plan for food allergy or asthma emergencies at school, that plan could be reviewed and modified during the visit.

Kid’s calendars can fill up quickly with camps, trips to the pool and other summer activities. That’s why Cook Children’s encourages families to make appointments as soon as possible – for a healthy start to the summer, and a less hectic August. Here’s what you need to know.

Pre-participation Physicals

UIL requires an evaluation prior to participation in sports, cheerleading, drill team and marching band. The goal is to identify any issues -- such as irregular heartbeat, vision problems, spine curvature or uncontrolled asthma – that might make workouts or competition hazardous. The form contains two parts:

1.    Medical history – a list of yes/no questions about headaches, dizziness, chest pain, seizures, allergies and more. This portion must be filled out every year by the student and parent or guardian.

2.    Physical exam – performed by a health care professional to check the student’s lungs, joints, vision, weight, heart rate, blood pressure and more. UIL requires the physical exam before the 7th, 9th and 11^th grades. Some school districts require it annually.

Dr. Babber has detected heart murmurs and high blood pressure while examining teens as part of their required physical. Follow-ups with a specialist are sometimes needed, she said.   

The UIL form asks the provider to check one of three options: cleared for participation, cleared after completing additional evaluation or rehabilitation, or not cleared due to concerns.

Immunizations

The 2025-2026 Texas Minimum State Vaccine Requirements chart, available in English and Spanish, lists the number of vaccine doses required to attend a K-12 school in the state. It’s the same as the 2024-2025 standards. 

Parents should know that the required immunizations are safe and proven to stop the spread of contagious diseases, Dr. Babber said.

“Vaccines go through rigorous testing and monitoring for safety and effectiveness,” she said. “Side effects are typically mild and temporary, such as a sore arm or mild fever.”

Incoming kindergarteners should be up-to-date on: MMR (measles, mumps and rubella); DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis); IPV (inactivated poliovirus); Varicella (chickenpox); Hepatitis A; and Hepatitis B.  

For students entering seventh grade, additional boosters are due for MCV4 (meningitis) and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis).   

As the mom of two young children, Dr. Babber recommends telling your child what to expect ahead of their shots. She emphasizes family-centered care in her practice, encouraging her patients and their parents to ask questions. Knowledge is key.

Dr. Babber pointed out that vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles can cause severe complications, hospitalization and even death.

“Vaccines help the immune system recognize and fight off infections in children before they’re ever exposed,” she explained. “These vaccines are incredibly important for the health of your own child as well as the community.”

Sites across Cook Children’s offer a Comfort Menu to help patients relax and feel less of a pinch when the needle goes in. Items include cold spray and a buzzy tool on the skin for comfort and distraction. 

Sunscreen, Swimming and Snacks

Here are a few more important safeguards from Dr. Babber for families to practice during the summer months:

• Use sunscreen and wear a hat to prevent sunburn
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
• Be vigilant around water to prevent drownings
• Choose fruits, vegetables, yogurt and other nutritious snacks
• Stay active and get outdoors
• Get good sleep
• Visit the dentist or eye doctor, if needed

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Is it necessary to get a sports physical this year?

After all, are we even going to have sports this year? Plus, in the age of COVID, you may feel hesitant to bring your child to a pediatrician’s office right now.

I understand your concern about going to a doctor’s office, but I promise it’s never been a better time to be seen! We have increased our cleaning protocol, which was already great, in the office and we want you to rest assure we have a clean and safe environment for you and your child.

So to answer your question in short, YES. Let’s take a look at why a sports physical is so important.

Not only is a yearly sports physical required by the school district to be cleared for sports, going to your pediatrician for a yearly well check-up is vital to the health of your child. At a wellness visit, we review growth and development, catch up on vaccines, address any concerns from the child or parent, as well as perform a complete physical exam. We also assess vision, hearing and order any labs or imaging deemed necessary.

It is far better to obtain your child’s sports physical from board-certified pediatricians, such as a Cook Children’s physician, who perform a complete well child checklist. Specific to the sports physical component, we take a heart history of the patient and family and check from head to toe for any joint or muscle issues. So even if your child’s sport gets postponed or canceled because of our current pandemic, this is a great way to evaluate the health of your young athlete.

In 2019, over 495,000 boys and 330,000 girls participated in high school athletics in Texas. Participating in sports is a great way for your child to remain physically active. Healthy bodies fight off infections such as COVID-19 better. We recommend at least one hour of strenuous physical activity daily (this means the heart is pumping hard, and you’re breaking a sweat!).

During the sports physical/ well check, we are making sure the heart is capable to handle this elevated level of activity. One specific condition we evaluate for during a sports physical is a potentially fatal heart condition called HOCM (hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy) that has been found to occur in 1 out of every 500 adults, and can cause sudden cardiac death in young athletes. Your pediatrician will evaluate if your child has an increased risk of HOCM, and we can refer him or her to a Cook Children’s cardiologist for timely assessment. If you’ve ever heard Cook Children’s referred to as a system, this is where it comes in handy. Your pediatrician actually works with the cardiologist to provide history and get your child seen quickly.

Heart ailments and many other diseases can be evaluated at your sports physical. Please call your pediatrician today and schedule your child’s sports physical. School starts in less than three weeks!

Citations:

Raj MA, Bansal P, Goyal A. Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy. [Updated 2020 Jul 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430820/

Number of participants in high school athletic programs in Texas 2009-2019

Published by Christina Gough, Aug 30, 2019