Know Your Family Health History. It Could Change Your Child's Care.

Posted On: 04/06/2026

Knowing your family's health history is a powerful way to protect your child. It helps you stay proactive about their well-being and helps your doctor catch potential issues early.

Well-child checkups are an important part of your child's growth. They typically happen about once a year (children under age 3 usually have a checkup every few months). During these visits, your child's doctor will use your family's health history to look for growth problems, learning delays, and other health concerns.

So, how do you collect the health information you need?

How to Gather Your Medical History

Start by asking older family members what health conditions they or other relatives have had. Ask your parents and grandparents about their health. Their answers can point to health risks, like heart disease, diabetes, or cancer, that may affect you and your children.

Some good questions to ask:

Has anyone in our family had heart problems?
Has anyone in our family been told they had cancer? What type?
Do any of our relatives have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a history of strokes?
Has anyone had depression or anxiety?

Ask your parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters. Some topics, like mental health or losing a family member, can be hard to talk about. That's okay. Gather what you can. Even a few answers are enough to get started.

Ways to Organize Your Family's Health History

Once you have the information from your relatives, write it down in a way that’s easy to bring to your child’s doctor visit. Here are a few options:

Your phone's Notes app: Create one note for each family member and add what you learn. It's always with you, and it's easy to update.
A printed list or chart: This can help keep things organized but may be harder to carry than your phone. Consider keeping an updated photo of it in your phone for reference.

Schedule Your Child's Checkup

At a well-child checkup, the doctor will use your family's health history to ask the right questions. They can watch for patterns and suggest tests that matter for your child. The more you know, the more your doctor can do.

Ready to put your family's health history to work? As a Parkland Community Health Plan member, your child can get a well-child checkup at no or low cost.

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