Because prevention trumps treatment when it comes to health, it's important for children to see their doctors once a year for their annual medical exam. There are good reasons why all kids need regular physicals. It allows the parent and the doctor to continuously track their growth development, screen for common health problems and go over some Q&A that the parent and/or the child may have. Plus, it's also a good time to insure that he or she is up to date on their shots, which is a requirement for most school admission.

Of course, with a new school year starting back up and the many after school activities, it can be hard to keep track of it all. So to help you keep abreast on matters pertaining to child health care, there is the Checkup magazine. This magazine, designed with the parent in mind, provides helpful, educational information for moms and dads, sourced by the experts at Cook Children's Hospital.

Sign up for your free subscription today and read up on the some of the health articles that may be relevant to your own child's health care. If nothing else, it's a great launching point to start the conversation with your child's doctor to insure that he or she is healthy in every way possible.