recommended well baby visits

Family Life

AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits

Parents know who they should go to when their child is sick. But pediatrician visits are just as important for healthy children.

The Bright Futures /American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed a set of comprehensive health guidelines for well-child care, known as the " periodicity schedule ." It is a schedule of screenings and assessments recommended at each well-child visit from infancy through adolescence.

Schedule of well-child visits

The first week visit (3 to 5 days old)
1 month old
2 months old
4 months old
6 months old
9 months old
12 months old
15 months old
18 months old
2 years old (24 months)
2 ½ years old (30 months)
3 years old
4 years old
5 years old
6 years old
7 years old
8 years old
9 years old
10 years old
11 years old
12 years old
13 years old
14 years old
15 years old
16 years old
17 years old
18 years old
19 years old
20 years old
21 years old

The benefits of well-child visits

Prevention . Your child gets scheduled immunizations to prevent illness. You also can ask your pediatrician about nutrition and safety in the home and at school.

Tracking growth & development . See how much your child has grown in the time since your last visit, and talk with your doctor about your child's development. You can discuss your child's milestones, social behaviors and learning.

Raising any concerns . Make a list of topics you want to talk about with your child's pediatrician such as development, behavior, sleep, eating or getting along with other family members. Bring your top three to five questions or concerns with you to talk with your pediatrician at the start of the visit.

Team approach . Regular visits create strong, trustworthy relationships among pediatrician, parent and child. The AAP recommends well-child visits as a way for pediatricians and parents to serve the needs of children. This team approach helps develop optimal physical, mental and social health of a child.

More information

Back to School, Back to Doctor

Recommended Immunization Schedules

Milestones Matter: 10 to Watch for by Age 5

Your Child's Checkups

Bright Futures/AAP Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care (periodicity schedule)

Doctor Visits

Make the Most of Your Baby’s Visit to the Doctor (Ages 0 to 11 Months)

A smiling doctor helps a healthy baby sit up for an exam.

Take Action

Babies need to go to the doctor or nurse for a “well-baby visit” 6 times before their first birthday.

A well-baby visit is when you take your baby to the doctor to make sure they’re healthy and developing normally. This is different from other visits for sickness or injury.

At a well-baby visit, the doctor or nurse can help catch any problems early, when they may be easier to treat. You’ll also have a chance to ask any questions you have about caring for your baby.

Learn what to expect so you can make the most of each well-baby visit.

Well-Baby Visits

How often do i need to take my baby for well-baby visits.

Babies need to see the doctor or nurse 6 times before their first birthday. Your baby is growing and changing quickly, so regular visits are important.

The first well-baby visit is 2 to 3 days after coming home from the hospital, when the baby is about 3 to 5 days old. After that first visit, babies need to see the doctor or nurse when they’re:

1 month old
2 months old
4 months old
6 months old
9 months old

If you’re worried about your baby’s health, don’t wait until the next scheduled visit — call the doctor or nurse right away.

Child Development

How do i know if my baby is growing and developing on schedule.

Your baby’s doctor or nurse can help you understand how your baby is developing and learning to do new things — like smile or turn their head to hear your voice. These are sometimes called “developmental milestones.”

At each visit, the doctor or nurse will ask you how you’re doing as a parent and what new things your baby is learning to do.

By age 2 months, most babies:

Lift their head when lying on their stomach
Look at your face
Smile when you talk to them
React to loud sounds

See a complete list of milestones for kids age 2 months .

By age 4 months, most babies:

Bring their hands to their mouth
Make cooing sounds
Hold toys that you put in their hand
Turn their head to the sound of your voice
Make sounds when you talk to them

See a complete list of milestones for kids age 4 months .

By age 6 months, most babies:

Lean on their hands for support when sitting
Roll over from their stomach to their back
Show interest in and reach for objects
Recognize familiar people
Like to look at themselves in a mirror

See a complete list of milestones for kids age 6 months .

By age 9 months, most babies:

Make different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
Smile or laugh when you play peek-a-boo
Look at you when you say their name
Sit without support

See a complete list of milestones for kids age 9 months .

What if I'm worried about my baby's development?

Remember, every baby develops a little differently. But if you’re concerned about your child’s growth and development, talk to your baby’s doctor or nurse.

Learn more about newborn and infant development .

Take these steps to help you and your baby get the most out of well-baby visits.

Gather important information.

Take any medical records you have to the appointment, including a record of vaccines (shots) your baby has received and results from newborn screenings . Read about newborn screenings .

Make a list of any important changes in your baby’s life since the last doctor’s visit, like:

Falling or getting injured
Starting daycare or getting a new caregiver

Use this tool to keep track of your baby’s family health history .

What about cost?

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans must cover well-child visits. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to get well-child visits at no cost to you. Check with your insurance company to find out more.

Your child may also qualify for free or low-cost health insurance through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Learn about coverage options for your family.

If you don’t have insurance, you may still be able to get free or low-cost well-child visits. Find a health center near you and ask about well-child visits.

To learn more, check out these resources:

Free preventive care for children covered by the Affordable Care Act
How the Affordable Care Act protects you and your family
Understanding your health insurance and how to use it [PDF - 698 KB]

Ask Questions

Make a list of questions to ask the doctor..

Before the well-baby visit, write down 3 to 5 questions you have. Each well-baby visit is a great time to ask the doctor or nurse any questions about:

How your baby is growing and developing
How your baby is sleeping
Breastfeeding your baby
When and how to start giving your baby solid foods
What changes and behaviors to expect in the coming months
How to make sure your home is safe for a growing baby

Here are some questions you may want to ask:

Is my baby up to date on vaccines?
How can I make sure my baby is getting enough to eat?
Is my baby at a healthy weight?
How can I make sure my baby is sleeping safely — and getting enough sleep?
How can I help my baby develop speech and language skills?
Is it okay for my baby to have screen time?
How do I clean my baby's teeth?

Take a notepad, smartphone, or tablet and write down the answers so you can remember them later.

Ask what to do if your baby gets sick.

Make sure you know how to get in touch with a doctor or nurse when the office is closed. Ask how to reach the doctor on call, or if there's a nurse information service you can call at night or on the weekend.

What to Expect

Know what to expect..

During each well-baby visit, the doctor or nurse will ask you about your baby and do a physical exam. The doctor or nurse will then update your baby’s medical history with all of this information.

The doctor or nurse will ask questions about your baby.

The doctor or nurse may ask about:

Behavior — Does your baby copy your movements and sounds?
Health — How many diapers does your baby wet each day? Does your baby spend time around people who are smoking or using e-cigarettes (vaping)?
Safety — If you live in an older home, has it been inspected for lead? Do you have a safe car seat for your baby?
Activities — Does your baby try to roll over? How often do you read to your baby?
Eating habits — How often does your baby eat each day? How are you feeding your baby?
Family — Do you have any worries about being a parent? Who can you count on to help you take care of your baby?

Your answers to questions like these will help the doctor or nurse make sure your baby is healthy, safe, and developing normally.

Physical Exam

The doctor or nurse will also check your baby’s body..

To check your baby’s body, the doctor or nurse will:

Measure height, weight, and the size of your baby’s head
Take your baby’s temperature
Check your baby’s eyes and hearing
Check your baby’s body parts (this is called a physical exam)
Give your baby shots they need

Learn more about your baby’s health care:

Read about what to expect at your baby’s first checkups
Find out how to get your baby’s shots on schedule

Content last updated March 30, 2023

Reviewer Information

This information on well-baby visits was adapted from materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Reviewed by: Sara Kinsman, M.D., Ph.D. Director, Division of Child, Adolescent, and Family Health Maternal and Child Health Bureau Health Resources and Services Administration

Bethany Miller, M.S.W. Chief, Adolescent Health Branch Maternal and Child Health Bureau Health Resources and Services Administration

Diane Pilkey, R.N., M.P.H. Nursing Consultant, Division of Child, Adolescent, and Family Health Maternal and Child Health Bureau Health Resources and Services Administration

September 2021

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KATHERINE TURNER, MD

Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(6):347-353

Related letter: Well-Child Visits Provide Physicians Opportunity to Deliver Interconception Care to Mothers

Author disclosure: No relevant financial affiliations.

The well-child visit allows for comprehensive assessment of a child and the opportunity for further evaluation if abnormalities are detected. A complete history during the well-child visit includes information about birth history; prior screenings; diet; sleep; dental care; and medical, surgical, family, and social histories. A head-to-toe examination should be performed, including a review of growth. Immunizations should be reviewed and updated as appropriate. Screening for postpartum depression in mothers of infants up to six months of age is recommended. Based on expert opinion, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends developmental surveillance at each visit, with formal developmental screening at nine, 18, and 30 months and autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months; the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found insufficient evidence to make a recommendation. Well-child visits provide the opportunity to answer parents' or caregivers' questions and to provide age-appropriate guidance. Car seats should remain rear facing until two years of age or until the height or weight limit for the seat is reached. Fluoride use, limiting or avoiding juice, and weaning to a cup by 12 months of age may improve dental health. A one-time vision screening between three and five years of age is recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to detect amblyopia. The American Academy of Pediatrics guideline based on expert opinion recommends that screen time be avoided, with the exception of video chatting, in children younger than 18 months and limited to one hour per day for children two to five years of age. Cessation of breastfeeding before six months and transition to solid foods before six months are associated with childhood obesity. Juice and sugar-sweetened beverages should be avoided before one year of age and provided only in limited quantities for children older than one year.

Well-child visits for infants and young children (up to five years) provide opportunities for physicians to screen for medical problems (including psychosocial concerns), to provide anticipatory guidance, and to promote good health. The visits also allow the family physician to establish a relationship with the parents or caregivers. This article reviews the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for screenings and recommendations for infants and young children. Family physicians should prioritize interventions with the strongest evidence for patient-oriented outcomes, such as immunizations, postpartum depression screening, and vision screening.

Clinical Examination

The history should include a brief review of birth history; prematurity can be associated with complex medical conditions. 1 Evaluate breastfed infants for any feeding problems, 2 and assess formula-fed infants for type and quantity of iron-fortified formula being given. 3 For children eating solid foods, feeding history should include everything the child eats and drinks. Sleep, urination, defecation, nutrition, dental care, and child safety should be reviewed. Medical, surgical, family, and social histories should be reviewed and updated. For newborns, review the results of all newborn screening tests ( Table 1 4 – 7 ) and schedule follow-up visits as necessary. 2

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

A comprehensive head-to-toe examination should be completed at each well-child visit. Interval growth should be reviewed by using appropriate age, sex, and gestational age growth charts for height, weight, head circumference, and body mass index if 24 months or older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended growth charts can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/who_charts.htm#The%20WHO%20Growth%20Charts . Percentiles and observations of changes along the chart's curve should be assessed at every visit. Include assessment of parent/caregiver-child interactions and potential signs of abuse such as bruises on uncommonly injured areas, burns, human bite marks, bruises on nonmobile infants, or multiple injuries at different healing stages. 8

The USPSTF and AAP screening recommendations are outlined in Table 2 . 3 , 9 – 27 A summary of AAP recommendations can be found at https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/periodicity_schedule.pdf . The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) generally adheres to USPSTF recommendations. 28

MATERNAL DEPRESSION

Prevalence of postpartum depression is around 12%, 22 and its presence can impair infant development. The USPSTF and AAP recommend using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (available at https://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/1015/p926.html#afp20101015p926-f1 ) or the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (available at https://www.aafp.org/afp/2012/0115/p139.html#afp20120115p139-t3 ) to screen for maternal depression. The USPSTF does not specify a screening schedule; however, based on expert opinion, the AAP recommends screening mothers at the one-, two-, four-, and six-month well-child visits, with further evaluation for positive results. 23 There are no recommendations to screen other caregivers if the mother is not present at the well-child visit.

PSYCHOSOCIAL

With nearly one-half of children in the United States living at or near the poverty level, assessing home safety, food security, and access to safe drinking water can improve awareness of psychosocial problems, with referrals to appropriate agencies for those with positive results. 29 The prevalence of mental health disorders (i.e., primarily anxiety, depression, behavioral disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) in preschool-aged children is around 6%. 30 Risk factors for these disorders include having a lower socioeconomic status, being a member of an ethnic minority, and having a non–English-speaking parent or primary caregiver. 25 The USPSTF found insufficient evidence regarding screening for depression in children up to 11 years of age. 24 Based on expert opinion, the AAP recommends that physicians consider screening, although screening in young children has not been validated or standardized. 25

DEVELOPMENT AND SURVEILLANCE

Based on expert opinion, the AAP recommends early identification of developmental delays 14 and autism 10 ; however, the USPSTF found insufficient evidence to recommend formal developmental screening 13 or autism-specific screening 9 if the parents/caregivers or physician have no concerns. If physicians choose to screen, developmental surveillance of language, communication, gross and fine movements, social/emotional development, and cognitive/problem-solving skills should occur at each visit by eliciting parental or caregiver concerns, obtaining interval developmental history, and observing the child. Any area of concern should be evaluated with a formal developmental screening tool, such as Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status, Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status-Developmental Milestones, or Survey of Well-Being of Young Children. These tools can be found at https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Screening/Pages/Screening-Tools.aspx . If results are abnormal, consider intervention or referral to early intervention services. The AAP recommends completing the previously mentioned formal screening tools at nine-, 18-, and 30-month well-child visits. 14

The AAP also recommends autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months. 10 The USPSTF recommends using the two-step Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) screening tool (available at https://m-chat.org/ ) if a physician chooses to screen a patient for autism. 10 The M-CHAT can be incorporated into the electronic medical record, with the possibility of the parent or caregiver completing the questionnaire through the patient portal before the office visit.

IRON DEFICIENCY

Multiple reports have associated iron deficiency with impaired neurodevelopment. Therefore, it is essential to ensure adequate iron intake. Based on expert opinion, the AAP recommends supplements for preterm infants beginning at one month of age and exclusively breastfed term infants at six months of age. 3 The USPSTF found insufficient evidence to recommend screening for iron deficiency in infants. 19 Based on expert opinion, the AAP recommends measuring a child's hemoglobin level at 12 months of age. 3

Lead poisoning and elevated lead blood levels are prevalent in young children. The AAP and CDC recommend a targeted screening approach. The AAP recommends screening for serum lead levels between six months and six years in high-risk children; high-risk children are identified by location-specific risk recommendations, enrollment in Medicaid, being foreign born, or personal screening. 21 The USPSTF does not recommend screening for lead poisoning in children at average risk who are asymptomatic. 20

The USPSTF recommends at least one vision screening to detect amblyopia between three and five years of age. Testing options include visual acuity, ocular alignment test, stereoacuity test, photoscreening, and autorefractors. The USPSTF found insufficient evidence to recommend screening before three years of age. 26 The AAP, American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus recommend the use of an instrument-based screening (photoscreening or autorefractors) between 12 months and three years of age and annual visual acuity screening beginning at four years of age. 31

IMMUNIZATIONS

The AAFP recommends that all children be immunized. 32 Recommended vaccination schedules, endorsed by the AAP, the AAFP, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, are found at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/child-adolescent.html . Immunizations are usually administered at the two-, four-, six-, 12-, and 15- to 18-month well-child visits; the four- to six-year well-child visit; and annually during influenza season. Additional vaccinations may be necessary based on medical history. 33 Immunization history should be reviewed at each wellness visit.

Anticipatory Guidance

Injuries remain the leading cause of death among children, 34 and the AAP has made several recommendations to decrease the risk of injuries. 35 – 42 Appropriate use of child restraints minimizes morbidity and mortality associated with motor vehicle collisions. Infants need a rear-facing car safety seat until two years of age or until they reach the height or weight limit for the specific car seat. Children should then switch to a forward-facing car seat for as long as the seat allows, usually 65 to 80 lb (30 to 36 kg). 35 Children should never be unsupervised around cars, driveways, and streets. Young children should wear bicycle helmets while riding tricycles or bicycles. 37

Having functioning smoke detectors and an escape plan decreases the risk of fire- and smoke-related deaths. 36 Water heaters should be set to a maximum of 120°F (49°C) to prevent scald burns. 37 Infants and young children should be watched closely around any body of water, including water in bathtubs and toilets, to prevent drowning. Swimming pools and spas should be completely fenced with a self-closing, self-latching gate. 38

Infants should not be left alone on any high surface, and stairs should be secured by gates. 43 Infant walkers should be discouraged because they provide no benefit and they increase falls down stairs, even if stair gates are installed. 39 Window locks, screens, or limited-opening windows decrease injury and death from falling. 40 Parents or caregivers should also anchor furniture to a wall to prevent heavy pieces from toppling over. Firearms should be kept unloaded and locked. 41

Young children should be closely supervised at all times. Small objects are a choking hazard, especially for children younger than three years. Latex balloons, round objects, and food can cause life-threatening airway obstruction. 42 Long strings and cords can strangle children. 37

DENTAL CARE

Infants should never have a bottle in bed, and babies should be weaned to a cup by 12 months of age. 44 Juices should be avoided in infants younger than 12 months. 45 Fluoride use inhibits tooth demineralization and bacterial enzymes and also enhances remineralization. 11 The AAP and USPSTF recommend fluoride supplementation and the application of fluoride varnish for teeth if the water supply is insufficient. 11 , 12 Begin brushing teeth at tooth eruption with parents or caregivers supervising brushing until mastery. Children should visit a dentist regularly, and an assessment of dental health should occur at well-child visits. 44

SCREEN TIME

Hands-on exploration of their environment is essential to development in children younger than two years. Video chatting is acceptable for children younger than 18 months; otherwise digital media should be avoided. Parents and caregivers may use educational programs and applications with children 18 to 24 months of age. If screen time is used for children two to five years of age, the AAP recommends a maximum of one hour per day that occurs at least one hour before bedtime. Longer usage can cause sleep problems and increases the risk of obesity and social-emotional delays. 46

To decrease the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the AAP recommends that infants sleep on their backs on a firm mattress for the first year of life with no blankets or other soft objects in the crib. 45 Breastfeeding, pacifier use, and room sharing without bed sharing protect against SIDS; infant exposure to tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and sleeping in bed with parents or caregivers increases the risk of SIDS. 47

DIET AND ACTIVITY

The USPSTF, AAFP, and AAP all recommend breastfeeding until at least six months of age and ideally for the first 12 months. 48 Vitamin D 400 IU supplementation for the first year of life in exclusively breastfed infants is recommended to prevent vitamin D deficiency and rickets. 49 Based on expert opinion, the AAP recommends the introduction of certain foods at specific ages. Early transition to solid foods before six months is associated with higher consumption of fatty and sugary foods 50 and an increased risk of atopic disease. 51 Delayed transition to cow's milk until 12 months of age decreases the incidence of iron deficiency. 52 Introduction of highly allergenic foods, such as peanut-based foods and eggs, before one year decreases the likelihood that a child will develop food allergies. 53

With approximately 17% of children being obese, many strategies for obesity prevention have been proposed. 54 The USPSTF does not have a recommendation for screening or interventions to prevent obesity in children younger than six years. 54 The AAP has made several recommendations based on expert opinion to prevent obesity. Cessation of breastfeeding before six months and introduction of solid foods before six months are associated with childhood obesity and are not recommended. 55 Drinking juice should be avoided before one year of age, and, if given to older children, only 100% fruit juice should be provided in limited quantities: 4 ounces per day from one to three years of age and 4 to 6 ounces per day from four to six years of age. Intake of other sugar-sweetened beverages should be discouraged to help prevent obesity. 45 The AAFP and AAP recommend that children participate in at least 60 minutes of active free play per day. 55 , 56

Data Sources: Literature search was performed using the USPSTF published recommendations ( https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/BrowseRec/Index/browse-recommendations ) and the AAP Periodicity table ( https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/periodicity_schedule.pdf ). PubMed searches were completed using the key terms pediatric, obesity prevention, and allergy prevention with search limits of infant less than 23 months or pediatric less than 18 years. The searches included systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and position statements. Essential Evidence Plus was also reviewed. Search dates: May through October 2017.

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Gardner HG American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. Office-based counseling for unintentional injury prevention. Pediatrics. 2007;119(1):202-206.

American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. Prevention of drowning in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2003;112(2):437-439.

American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention. Injuries associated with infant walkers. Pediatrics. 2001;108(3):790-792.

American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention. Falls from heights: windows, roofs, and balconies. Pediatrics. 2001;107(5):1188-1191.

Dowd MD, Sege RD Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention Executive Committee; American Academy of Pediatrics. Firearm-related injuries affecting the pediatric population. Pediatrics. 2012;130(5):e1416-e1423.

American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. Prevention of choking among children. Pediatrics. 2010;125(3):601-607.

Kendrick D, Young B, Mason-Jones AJ, et al. Home safety education and provision of safety equipment for injury prevention (review). Evid Based Child Health. 2013;8(3):761-939.

American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Oral Health. Maintaining and improving the oral health of young children. Pediatrics. 2014;134(6):1224-1229.

Heyman MB, Abrams SA American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Committee on Nutrition. Fruit juice in infants, children, and adolescents: current recommendations. Pediatrics. 2017;139(6):e20170967.

Council on Communications and Media. Media and young minds. Pediatrics. 2016;138(5):e20162591.

Moon RY Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths: evidence base for 2016 updated recommendations for a safe infant sleeping environment. Pediatrics. 2016;138(5):e20162940.

American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding. Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics. 2012;129(3):e827-e841.

Wagner CL, Greer FR American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding; Committee on Nutrition. Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents [published correction appears in Pediatrics . 2009;123(1):197]. Pediatrics. 2008;122(5):1142-1152.

Huh SY, Rifas-Shiman SL, Taveras EM, Oken E, Gillman MW. Timing of solid food introduction and risk of obesity in preschool-aged children. Pediatrics. 2011;127(3):e544-e551.

Greer FR, Sicherer SH, Burks AW American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition; Section on Allergy and Immunology. Effects of early nutritional interventions on the development of atopic disease in infants and children: the role of maternal dietary restriction, breastfeeding, timing of introduction of complementary foods, and hydrolyzed formulas. Pediatrics. 2008;121(1):183-191.

American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition. The use of whole cow's milk in infancy. Pediatrics. 1992;89(6 pt 1):1105-1109.

Fleischer DM, Spergel JM, Assa'ad AH, Pongracic JA. Primary prevention of allergic disease through nutritional interventions. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2013;1(1):29-36.

Grossman DC, Bibbins-Domingo K, Curry SJ, et al. Screening for obesity in children and adolescents: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2017;317(23):2417-2426.

Daniels SR, Hassink SG Committee on Nutrition. The role of the pediatrician in primary prevention of obesity. Pediatrics. 2015;136(1):e275-e292.

American Academy of Family Physicians. Physical activity in children. https://www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/physical-activity.html . Accessed January 1, 2018.

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Well-Care Visits

Toddler having a well care visit at the pediatrician.

What is a well-care visit?

It's important to take your child to the healthcare provider when your child is ill. Or when you child needs an exam to take part in a sport. But routine well-care visits are also recommended.

Well-care, well-baby, or well-child visits are routine visits to your child's healthcare provider for the following:

Physical exam

Immunization updates

Tracking growth and development

Finding any problems before they become serious

Providing information on health and safety issues

Providing information on nutrition and physical fitness

Providing information on how to manage emergencies and illnesses

Your child's healthcare provider can also provide guidance on other issues, such as the following:

Behavioral problems

Learning problems

Emotional problems

Family problems

Socialization problems

Puberty and concerns about teenage years

When should well-care visits be scheduled?

Your child's healthcare provider will give you a schedule of ages when a well-care visit is suggested. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends well-care visits at the following ages:

Before a newborn is discharged from the hospital, or at 48 to 72 hours of age

3 to 5 days

2 to 4 weeks

Annually, between ages 6 and 21

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Well-Child Visits: Parent and Patient Education

The Bright Futures Parent and Patient Educational Handouts help guide anticipatory guidance and reinforce key messages (organized around the 5 priorities in each visit) for the family. Each educational handout is written in plain language to ensure the information is clear, concise, relevant, and easy to understand. Each educational handout is available in English and Spanish (in HTML and PDF format). Beginning at the 7 year visit , there is both a Parent and Patient education handout (in English and Spanish).

For the Bright Futures Parent Handouts for well-child visits up to 2 years of age , translations of 12 additional languages (PDF format) are made possible thanks to the generous support of members, staff, and businesses who donate to the AAP Friends of Children Fund . The 12 additional languages are Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, and Vietnamese.

Reminder for Health Care Professionals: The Bright Futures Tool and Resource Kit, 2nd Edition is available as an online access product. For more detailed information about the Toolkit, visit shop.aap.org . To license the Toolkit to use the forms in practice and/or incorporate them into an Electronic Medical Record System, please contact AAP Sales .

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The 12-Month Well-Baby Visit

Medical review policy, latest update:, the physical checkup, developmental milestones, read this next, 12-month vaccines, questions to ask your doctor, recognizing the signs of a delay.

And before you leave, don't forget to get the next appointment scheduled, which will be the 15-month checkup .

What to Expect the First Year , 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff. WhatToExpect.com, Your Guide to Well-Baby Visits , March 2020. WhatToExpect.com, What Order and When Do Baby Teeth Appear? This Baby Teething Chart Can Help , February 2021. WhatToExpect.com, Your Baby's Vaccine Schedule: What Shots Should Your Child Get When? , January 2021. American Academy of Pediatrics, AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits , September 2021. American Academy of Pediatrics, Assessing Developmental Delays , February 2019. American Academy of Pediatrics, Language Delays in Toddlers: Information for Parents , April 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Recommended Vaccines by Age , November 2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Important Milestones: Your Child by One Year , August 2021. KidsHealth From Nemours, Your Child’s Checkup: 1 Year (12 Months) , April 2021. Mayo Clinic, Language Development: Speech Milestones for Babies , March 2021.

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Home / Parenting, Kids & Teens / Quick guide to your infant’s first pediatrician visits

Quick guide to your infant’s first pediatrician visits

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Frequent checkups with a health care provider are an important part of your baby’s first few years. These checkups — often called well-child visits — are a way for you and your child’s health care provider to keep tabs on your child’s health and development, as well as spot any potential problems. Well-child visits also give you a chance to discuss any questions or concerns you might have and get advice from a trusted source on how to provide the best possible care for your child.

The benefit of seeing your child’s provider regularly is that each visit adds critical information to your child’s health history. Over time, you and the provider will get a good idea of your child’s overall health and development.

In general, the provider will be more attentive to your child’s pattern of growth over time, rather than to specific one-time measurements. Typically what you’ll see is a smooth curve that arcs upward as the years go by. Regularly reviewing your child’s growth chart can also alert you and the provider to unexpected delays in growth or changes in weight that may suggest the need for additional monitoring.

Each health care provider does things a bit differently, but here’s what will generally be on the agenda during your first well-child exams.

Body measurements

Checkups usually begin with measurements. During first-year visits, a nurse or your baby’s health care provider will measure and record your baby’s length, head circumference and weight.

Your child’s measurements will be plotted on his or her growth chart. This will help you and the provider see how your child’s size compares with that of other children the same age. Try not to fixate on the percentages too much, though. All kids grow and develop at different rates. In addition, babies who take breast milk gain weight at a different rate than do babies who are formula-fed.

Keep in mind that a child who’s in the 95th percentile for height and weight isn’t necessarily healthier than a child who’s in the fifth percentile. What’s most important is steady growth from one visit to the next. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s growth rate, discuss them with your child’s provider.

Physical exam

Your child’s health care provider will give your child a thorough physical exam and check his or her reflexes and muscle tone. Be sure to mention any concerns you have or specific areas you want the doctor to check out.

Here are the basics of what providers commonly check for during an exam:

Head — In the beginning, your child’s health care provider will likely check the soft spots (fontanels) on your baby’s head. These gaps between the skull bones give your baby’s brain plenty of room to grow in the coming months. They’re safe to touch and typically disappear within two years, when the skull bones fuse together. The health care provider may also check baby’s head for flat spots. A baby’s skull is soft and made up of several movable plates. If his or her head is left in the same position for long periods of time, the skull plates might move in a way that creates a flat spot.
Ears — Using an instrument called an otoscope, the health care provider can see in your child’s ears to check for fluid or infection in the ears. The provider may observe your child’s response to various sounds, including your voice. Be sure to tell the provider if you have any concerns about your son’s or daughter’s ability to hear or if there’s a history of childhood deafness in your family. Unless there’s cause for concern, a formal hearing evaluation isn’t usually needed at a well-child exam.
Eyes — Your child’s health care provider may use a flashlight to catch your child’s attention and then track his or her eye movements. The provider may also check for blocked tear ducts and eye discharge and look inside your child’s eyes with a lighted instrument called an ophthalmoscope. Be sure to tell the provider if you’ve noticed that your child is having any unusual eye movements, especially if they continue beyond the first few months of life.
Mouth — A look inside your baby’s mouth may reveal signs of oral thrush, a common, and easily treated, yeast infection. The health care provider might also check your baby’s mouth for signs of tongue-tie (ankyloglossia), a condition that affects the tongue’s range of motion and can interfere with a baby’s oral development as well as his or her ability to breast-feed.
Skin — Various skin conditions may be identified during the exam, including birthmarks, rashes, and jaundice, a yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes. Mild jaundice that develops soon after birth often disappears on its own within a week or two. Cases that are more severe may need treatment.
Heart and lungs — Using a stethoscope, your child’s health care provider can listen to your child’s heart and lungs to check for abnormal heart sounds or rhythms or breathing difficulties.
Abdomen, hips and legs — By gently pressing a child’s abdomen, a health care provider can detect tenderness, enlarged organs, or an umbilical hernia, which occurs when a bit of intestine or fatty tissue near the navel breaks through the muscular wall of the abdomen. Most umbilical hernias heal by the toddler years without intervention. The provider may also move your child’s legs to check for dislocation or other problems with the hip joints, such as dysplasia of the hip joint.
Genitalia — Your child’s care provider will likely inspect your son’s or daughter’s genitalia for tenderness, lumps or other signs of infection. The provider may also check for an inguinal hernia, which results from a weakness in the abdominal wall.

For girls, the doctor may ask about vaginal discharge. For boys, the provider will make sure a circumcised penis is healing well during early visits. The provider may also check to see that both testes have descended into the scrotum and that there’s no fluid-filled sac around the testes, a condition called hydrocele.

Your child’s provider will likely ask you about your child’s eating habits. If you’re breastfeeding, the provider may want to know how often you’re feeding your baby during the day and night and whether you’re having any problems. If you’re pumping, the provider may offer suggestions for managing pumping frequency and storing breast milk. If you’re formula-feeding, the provider will likely want to know how often you feed and how many ounces of formula your baby takes at each feeding. In addition, the provider may discuss with you your baby’s need for vitamin D and iron supplements.

Bowel and bladder function

In the first few visits, your child’s health care provider will likely also ask how many wet diapers and bowel movements your baby produces a day. This information offers clues as to whether your baby is getting enough to eat.

Sleeping status

Your child’s health care provider may ask you questions about your child’s sleep habits, such as your regular bedtime routine and how many hours your child is sleeping during the day and night. Don’t hesitate to discuss any concerns you may have about your child’s sleep, such as getting your baby to sleep through the night. Your child’s provider may also help you figure out how to find rest for yourself, especially in the early baby months.

Development

Your child’s development is important, too. The health care provider will monitor your child’s development in the following five main areas.

Gross motor skills — These skills, such as sitting, walking and climbing, involve the movement of large muscles. Your child’s health care provider may ask you how well your baby can control his or her head. Is your baby attempting to roll over? Is your baby trying to sit on his or her own? Is your child starting to walk or throw a ball? Can your toddler walk up and down steps?
Fine motor skills — These skills involve the use of small muscles in the hand. Does your baby reach for objects and bring them to his or her mouth? Is your baby using individual fingers to pick up small objects?
Personal and social skills — These skills enable a child to interact and respond to his or her surroundings. Your child’s health care provider may ask if your baby is smiling. Does your baby relate to you with joy and enthusiasm? Does he or she play peekaboo?
Language skills — These skills include hearing, understanding and use of language. The health care provider may ask if your baby turns his or her head toward voices or other sounds. Does your baby laugh? Is he or she responding to his or her name?
Cognitive skills — These skills allow a child to think, reason, solve problems and understand his or her surroundings. Your child’s provider might ask if your baby can bang together two cubes or search for a toy after seeing you hide it.

Vaccinations

Your baby will need a number of scheduled vaccinations during his or her first years. The health care provider or a nurse will explain to you how to hold your baby as he or she is given each shot. Be prepared for possible tears. Keep in mind, however, that the pain caused by a shot is typically short-lived but the benefits are long lasting.

Your child’s provider may talk to you about safety issues, such as the importance of placing your baby to sleep on his or her back and using a rear-facing infant car seat as long as possible.

Questions and concerns

During your son’s or daughter’s checkups, it’s likely that you’ll have questions, too. Ask away! Nothing is too trivial when it comes to caring for your baby. Write down questions as they arise between appointments so that you’ll be less likely to forget them when you’re at your child’s checkup.

Also, don’t forget your own health. If you’re feeling depressed, stressed-out, run-down or overwhelmed, describe what’s happening. Your child’s provider is there to help you, too.

Before you leave the health care provider’s office, make sure you know when to schedule your child’s next appointment. If possible, set the next appointment before you leave the provider’s office. If you don’t already know, ask how to reach your child’s provider in between appointments. You might also ask if the provider has a 24-hour nurse information service. Knowing that help is available when you need it can offer peace of mind.

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All About Your Child’s Well-Baby Visits

From the first few days of life all the way through to age 21, your child will have regular appointments with her healthcare provider. These are often referred to as well-baby visits or well-child checkups. Initially, they will happen every few months or so, but later on they will happen annually. Learn why well-child checkups are important, what the typical schedule is, and how to get the most out of each visit.

Well-Child Checkup Schedule

Well-child checkups are crucial for keeping your little one healthy and safe as she grows and develops. Below you will find the standard schedule of well-child checkups for the first three years, along with a few examples of what may come up during each checkup. Beginning at age 3, most children will have annual well-child visits. Keep in mind that your child’s healthcare provider may recommend additional visits, and you can always schedule an extra visit between appointments if your little one needs medical care.

The First Week

This visit usually happens within 72 hours of your newborn being home—usually when your baby is about 3 to 5 days old. As part of this checkup your child’s skin color may be checked for signs of jaundice . Your child’s provider may also take a peek inside your newborn’s mouth for signs of tongue-tie . If you are breastfeeding, your little one’s provider can answer any questions you have about latch or sore nipples , for example. The provider may also be able to recommend a lactation consultant for additional help and support.

1 Month Old Checkup

During this visit, your child’s healthcare provider may check things like your baby’s reflexes and muscle tone, as well examining the soft spots on your baby’s head called the fontanelles. If there’s something specific you’d like your child’s provider to check, go ahead and mention it. Your baby’s provider may ask you about how feeding is going. For example, you may be asked how much formula you’re offering, or how often you breastfeed your baby. If you’re planning to return to work soon while continuing to breastfeed, your newborn’s provider may give you advice on pumping and storing breast milk. You might also like to use this opportunity to ask how to go about finding good childcare. Use this appointment to ask any questions you have about adjusting to life as a parent. For example, if you suspect you may have postpartum depression or are not recovering as you had hoped after childbirth , bring this up as well. If you’re the dad, you might like to ask about what you can do to bond with your baby.

2 Months Old Checkup

At this visit your baby may receive some vaccines, including the DTaP, Hib, and IPV vaccines. Vaccinations will be given at a number of different well-child checkups, so it’s worth taking a look at the immunization schedule or asking your child’s provider for guidance on which vaccines to expect when. Your baby’s heart and lung health may be checked. Your child’s provider will use a stethoscope to listen to your baby’s heartbeats for signs of irregularity, and to listen to your baby’s lungs for signs of breathing difficulties. If your baby has diaper rash , your child’s healthcare provider can recommend ointments or barrier creams for treatment and prevention. Your child’s provider can also let you know about other common baby rashes to keep an eye out for.

4 Months Old Checkup

At this visit, your baby’s provider may examine your child's eyes and track her eye movements. Your child’s provider may also move your baby’s legs to check that the joints are developing well, and press gently on your baby’s tummy to check whether the organs are forming well. At this point your doctor will ask you about your baby’s sleep, including nap times. To help you keep track of this, and to help make sure your baby’s sleeping well, we suggest downloading the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™. Co-developed with pediatricians and backed by science, this easy-to-use app is like having a personal sleep coach, in your pocket! Get started today by taking their free sleep assessment .

6 Months Old Checkup

This month, your child’s healthcare provider may offer pointers on introducing solids and tell you about signs of an allergic reaction to watch for as you introduce new foods one at a time. Your child’s provider can also give you personalized advice on which foods to start with, how to set up healthy eating habits, and how to actually feed your baby solids.

9 Months Old Checkup

As your baby’s teeth start erupting , your child’s healthcare provider may check on their growth and recommend a good pediatric dentist in your area. Your baby’s provider can also show you how to care for those first tiny teeth. Other topics that may come up at this checkup include how to wean your baby off the bottle when the time comes, when to start giving cow’s milk, and when to introduce utensils and a sippy cup.

1 Year Old Checkup

During this visit your child’s healthcare provider may ask about certain fine and gross motor skills , such whether your child can pull up to a standing position, or walk on his own or with his hand held, or use his finger to point at objects he wants. You might like to ask your child’s healthcare provider about when your little one might start walking , if he isn’t already; what baby proofing measures you should take at home now that your child is getting more mobile; and where to go to get shoes fitted for your child.

15 Months Old Checkup

Your child’s healthcare provider may ask about how your toddler’s interpersonal, language, and cognitive skills are coming along. For example, she might ask whether your child is starting to explore more independently, whether he points to common objects when you say their names, and whether he can follow simple instructions like “give the spoon to Daddy.” If you are planning to have another baby soon, you might like to ask the healthcare provider about how to introduce your toddler to the concept of him getting a little brother or sister.

18 Months Old Checkup

As your child gets more active and independent you may like to ask your child’s provider about strategies for keeping your child safe in your home environment. This is also a good time to discuss ways to manage your child's behavior and set up age-appropriate rules and boundaries. If your toddler has certain risk factors, the relevant screening tests may be offered at this checkup. For example, screening tests may be recommended for things like hearing, vision, development delays, or autism. Your provider may also bring up the topic of potty training, and go over some of the signs of readiness for potty training .

2 Years Old Checkup

Before this visit you may have been wondering about the upcoming “terrible twos” and how you should handle temper tantrums and the inevitable meltdowns at the grocery store. This visit is a great chance to bring up your questions and concerns around how your child’s behavior and personality may be evolving. Your child’s provider will explain what is normal during this stage of development and how to support your child’s growing independence. Preschool could be coming up in the next year or two, and your provider can help you find a preschool that's a good fit for your child.

2 ½ Years Old Checkup

Besides the usual checks, one topic that may come up during this visit is potty training. If potty training has begun and isn't going well, or if you're unsure how to get the process started , your provider can offer suggestions. This checkup may also be a great time to talk to your child’s provider about your little one’s temperament and personality. For example, if you have any concerns about how your toddler is interacting with other children, or if your child seems particularly shy, you might like to bring it up to see what advice or reassurance your toddler’s provider can give you.

3 Years Old Checkup

During this session your toddler’s healthcare provider may ask you about anything that’s disturbing your child’s sleep, like nightmares, for example, and how to handle other sleep issues. Screen time may also come up. You may talk about how much screen time a 3-year-old should be getting, and what type of programming is good for a child of this age.

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What Happens at a Well-Child Visit?

Each visit may be a little different based on your child’s age and stage of development, any specific needs your child has, and the way your child’s healthcare provider does things. However, here are some of the things that typically happen at a well-child visit in the early years:

Tracking your child’s growth by measuring her length, weight, and head circumference

A physical exam that could include checking your baby’s ears, eyes, mouth, skin, limbs, tummy, and other body parts

An assessment of your child's physical development, including her movement and motor skills

An evaluation of her emotional and cognitive development; for example, checking that your child is reacting and interacting normally for her age, and is learning appropriately for her age

Immunizations may be given

Screening tests or other tests may be recommended if needed

Your child’s provider may give you advice on feeding and nutrition or recommend extra vitamins or supplements, like vitamin D or iron, if they are needed

Your provider may share insights into the next phase of your child’s development. If your child is not developing as expected, the provider will also be able to offer recommendations on treatment or therapies to help your child get back on track.

Your child’s healthcare provider will answer any questions you have about parenting or about your child’s health and well-being. No question is too big or too small. You can ask anything from how much your child should be sleeping during the day to when to switch your car seat from rear facing to front facing.

Your child’s healthcare provider can give your information about resources in your area, and about how to go about certain things like choosing a good babysitter, finding an affordable pediatric dentist, or selecting the right preschool.

Benefits of the Well-Child Visit

Well-child checkups are invaluable for both you and your child. Here are just some of the benefits of the well-child checks:

Spotting issues early. Your child’s healthcare provider will use these visits to keep an eye out for any possible problems so that steps can be taken to get your child back on the right track. As an example, if your little one is gaining too much weight, your provider can give you advice on nutrition so that your child gets back to a healthy weight.

Preventing problems. As an example, ensuring your child is immunized against certain childhood diseases helps prevent your child from getting sick with a preventable disease.

Getting answers. You might have some questions that aren’t pressing enough to warrant a separate doctor’s visit. Knowing that you have a well-child visit coming up gives you a chance to collect all of your questions and have them answered by a medical professional you trust. Remember, there are no “silly questions” when it comes to your child’s health and well-being.

Learning about what’s to come. Your child’s healthcare provider can give you insights and information about the next stage of your child’s development. That means that certain things might be less of surprise when they happen. As an example, your child’s provider might tell you what kind of behavioral changes to expect with the “terrible twos” and how to manage the tantrums that follow.

Creating a strong relationship with your child’s healthcare provider. Seeing your child’s provider regularly gives you the chance to build up a rapport. You’ll get to know her during these well-child visits, and she’ll get to know you and your little one. Having a relationship built on trust ensures that you can work as a team for the best outcomes for your child.

How to Make the Most of the Well-Child Visit

There are a few things you can do to ensure you get the most out of your child’s well-child checkups:

If it’s workable, schedule the visit for a time when you think your child will be well-rested and well-fed, and try to pick a time when you yourself aren’t rushed. Also, consider how busy your child’s healthcare provider will be. It may be easiest if you can get the first appointment of the day, or one that’s not during “rush hour.”

If it’s possible, both parents should be at the first few visits to ensure that you both get to know your child’s healthcare provider and get the same basic information about newborn baby care

Pack everything you’ll need like your insurance information, your child’s medical history, and your diaper bag (filled with extra diapers, snacks, and toys)

Consider keeping a physical or digital record of what was discussed at each well-child visit. Keep copies of your child’s lab results and evidence of immunizations in the same spot or format as well. Having all this information in one place from the start will make it easier to look back and find the information when you need it. When your child enters preschool or school, you may need to provide documentation of certain medical details.

Dress your child in clothes that are easy to remove and put back on. Your little one may be undressed for part of the visit and your child’s healthcare provider may need easy access to give immunizations.

Write down any questions you have and take the list with you so you don’t forget anything important. Having a list of questions also allows you to focus on the answers instead of thinking ahead about what to ask next.

Using the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ to track your baby’s night sleeps and naps can be a huge help when discussing your baby’s health and development with your doctor. By taking a broad view of your baby’s sleep, you can understand and shape your baby’s sleep and give them the rest they need to keep growing and developing well. In fact, if you're experiencing sleep challenges, you can take this free sleep assessment to get helpful guidance and support on how to get sleep back on track!

The bottom line

Well-child checkups are important for your child. They allow the healthcare provider to to track your child’s growth and development, give vaccinations or screening tests that are needed, and identify any problems nice and early. By working together, you and your child’s provider can give your child the best possible start in life.

Plus, each well-child visit is a great opportunity for you to ask any questions you have about your child’s health and parenting in general.

Try not to miss your scheduled well-baby checkups; they can be a wealth of information and an important way to help ensure your child’s happy and healthy development. By taking advantage of these one-on-one sessions with your child’s provider, you may find he becomes less of a “provider” and more of a partner in your parenting journey.

How We Wrote This Article The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.

healthychildren.org. “AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits.”
Kids Health. “Your Child's Checkup: 3 Years.”
CDC. “Developmental Monitoring and Screening.”
Kids Health. “Your Child's Checkup: 1.5 Years (18 Months).”
Kids Health. “Your Child's Checkups.”

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What to Expect at Well-Child Visits

1-Month Well-Child Visit

2-month well-child visit, 4-month well-child visit, 6-month well-child visit, 9-month well-child visit, 12-month well-child visit, toddler well-child visits, 15-month well-child visit, 18-month well-child visit, 24-month well-child visit, 30-month well-child visit, 3-year well-child visit.

Vaccines Schedule From 0-2 Years

While it’s a no-brainer that you take your baby or toddler to the doctor when they’re sick, it’s also important to bring your child to the pediatrician for regularly scheduled visits when they are feeling just fine! Enter: The well-child visit. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that each kiddo goes to the doctor within days of birth, then almost monthly, then annually for must-have screenings and assessments. Here’s what to expect at childhood checkups—and when to expect them .

In the first few years of life, you’ll get to know your child’s healthcare provider very well.

Typical child well visit schedule:

Within 3 to 5 days of birth
Annually after 3 years

What to Expect at the Newborn Well-Child Visit

Congrats! You just brought your baby home from the hospital…now pack up the diaper bag and head to their very first visit to the pediatrician! (Still haven’t secured your baby’s pediatrician? Use our guide to help you find the perfect doc .) All newborns need a first-week checkup within 3 to 5 days from birth.

What to bring to Newborn Well-Child Visit

Beyond your sweet babe, you may need to bring all your hospital paperwork, which should contain info about your baby’s discharge weight and/or any possible complications that occurred during pregnancy or birth. Some hospitals and practices use online charts that multiple providers can access, but if yours doesn’t, you’ll want to have that information on hand. (If you’re unsure, just ask!)

Newborn Well-Child Visit Vaccines

If your little one did not receive the Hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine while at the hospital, they should receive the first HepB vaccine dose now.

Newborn Well-Child Visit Screenings

Your baby’s pediatrician will likely tackle the following screening measure and exams:

Your baby will be measured and weighed to ensure they’re growing as expected.

Baby’s head, ears, eyes, and mouth will be examined.

Baby’s skin will be looked at for birthmarks or rashes.

The doctor will review the results of two newborn screenings your baby received shortly after birth: hearing and blood test results. (Rescreening may be done.)

If your baby did not have their hearing screened at the hospital—or if they were born at home or a birthing center, their hearing will be screened .

The pediatrician will press gently on your baby’s tummy to check organs and for an umbilical hernia.

They’ll also move your baby’s legs to check for dislocation or other issues with their hip joints.

Your baby’s genitalia will be examined for signs of infection, such as tenderness or lumps.

What to Expect at Baby Well-Child Visits

During the first year of your baby’s life, they will visit the pediatrician every month or so for a well-child checkup. All first-year well-visits entail the following:

Baby’s weight and height will be recorded.

The pediatrician will check on your baby’s developmental milestones.

Baby’s heart rate and breathing will be checked.

The doctor will examine your baby’s skin.

They’ll also press on Baby’s belly to detect enlarged organs or an umbilical hernia.

Baby’s legs and hips will be checked for dislocation or other joint problems.

Baby’s genitalia will be inspected for signs of infection.

Beyond the screenings listed above, you can also expect:

Your little one may receive the HepB vaccine, though sometimes this occurs at Baby’s two-month checkup.

Mom will be screened for postpartum depression. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends moms be screened for postpartum depression (PPD) during well-child visits at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months of age.

If your baby is breastfeeding or consuming less than 27 ounces a day of vitamin-D containing baby formula, the pediatrician will offer advice about vitamin D supplementation .

Possible questions about feeding, sleep, number of wet and dirty diapers, and other 1-month milestones

Beyond the screenings listed above, you can expect:

Baby is set to receive the following vaccinations: RV, DTap, Hib, PCV13, and IPV.

Mom will be screened for postpartum depression .

Possible questions about feeding, sleep, number of wet and dirty diapers, tummy time , and other 2-month milestones

Your bub will likely receive the following vaccinations: RV, DTap, Hib, PCV13, and IPV.

Mom will be screened for postpartum depression.

Blood may be drawn to screen for anemia , which is a condition marked by a low supply of healthy red blood cells.

If your baby is partially or completely breastfed, the doctor will offer advice about introducing an iron supplement .

Possible questions about sleep regression , babbling, Baby’s gums, teething, starting solids soon, when/how to introduce allergens , and other 4-month milestones

Your baby will likely get the following vaccinations: DTap, Hib, and PCV13. If your bub received the PedvaxHIB vaccine, they don’t require a 6-month Hib shot. If your Baby received the RotaTeq (RV5) vaccine, they’ll get their third dose now.

If your baby’s 6-month well-visit falls during flu season, they should get the recommended flu shot —with the second dose four weeks later. If it’s not flu season, your pediatrician will advise you when to return to get this important vaccine.

Fluoride varnish may be applied if your bub’s first tooth has popped through (most babies start cutting teeth around this age).

Possible questions about starting solids, introducing nuts , teething, and sleep, and other 6-month baby milestones

If your baby hasn’t yet received their third HepB and IPV shots, they may get them now. Technically, babies can get either of these vaccines between 6 and 18 months, and many doctors opt to give them during the 9-month checkup.

Your baby’s pediatrician will conduct a more formal developmental screening than usual, asking several questions about your little one’s growth and behavior. The doc may even ask if they can observe you and your little one playing together. All of this is to see whether your baby is developing at an expected rate or further testing is needed.

Possible questions about pointing, babyproofing , sippy cups, constipation, and other 9-month baby milestones

Baby will likely receive the following vaccinations: Hib, PCV13, MMR, VAR, HepA (second dose around 6 months later). Your little is eligible for all these vaccines at their one-year checkup, but that doesn’t mean they’ll occur all at once. For example, babies should receive Hib, PCV13, MMR, VAR vaccines between 12 and 15 months. And you have until 23 months to tick the HepA shot off your list.

Your baby may be screened for anemia .

Based on your little one’s risk, their hearing, vision, blood pressure, and/or their blood lead levels may be tested.

Possible questions about crawling, walking, talking, transitioning to whole milk , and other first-year baby milestones

During Baby’s first year, doctor appointments were coming at you in rapid succession. But now that you’ve got a toddler on your hands, the time between well-visits widens. Between 15 months old and your bub’s third birthday, you’ll be back at the pediatrician’s office just five times for checkups. Here’s what you can expect at every well visit:

Your toddler’s weight and height will be recorded.

The pediatrician will check on your tot’s developmental milestones.

Your toddler’s head, ears, eyes, and mouth will be examined.

Toddler’s heart rate and breathing will be checked.

A skin examination will likely occur.

The doctor will press on your child’s belly to feel organs and for an umbilical hernia.

Your toddler's genitalia will be looked at for signs of infection, such as tenderness or lumps.

Depending on which vaccines your child got at their 12-month visit, they may be due for Hib, PCV13, MMR, VAR, which are all recommended between 12 and 15 months.

Your toddler may be checked for anemia.

Based on specific risk factors, your toddler may have their vision, hearing, and/or blood pressure checked, too.

If your tot has already received a fluoride varnish on their teeth, a second application may occur .

Possible questions about sleep, motor skills, social skills, eating, talking, and constipation, and other 15-month milestones

Depending on which immunizations your kiddo got during their last well visit, they may be due for HepA with a second dose about 6 months later and/or DTap

Based on your child’s risk factors—or possible concerns—your tot’s pediatrician may screen for anemia or lead poisoning, do a blood pressure check, and/or conduct a hearing or vision test.

In addition to regular developmental surveillance and screening, all 18-month-olds need a formal screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at their well-child visit. There are several screening tool options, but the 23-point questionnaire called the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers–Revised with follow-u (M-CHAT-R/F) is the most common screening tool used in pediatric offices.

Possible questions about sleep, eating, motor skills, play habits, potty training, tantrums, and other 18-month milestones

Once your tot is 2 years old, they can get the nasal spray version of the flu shot. (Your toddler is still too young to get their annual jab—or FluMist—at the local pharmacy.)

The AAP recommends all children get screened for autism spectrum disorder at both their 18- and 24-month well-child visits. ( Learn about early autism signs. )

Your child’s doc will likely start using BMI (body mass index) to screen for overweight and obesity in children beginning at 2 years old.

Your child’s doctor may order tests for anemia, lead, high cholesterol, and/or tuberculosis if needed.

Possible questions about sleep, potty training , motor and language development , and other 24-month milestones

Plan for all of the basic well-visit screenings at the 30-month (or two-and-a-half year) checkup. If your toddler is up to date on vaccines and feeling good, not much else happens at this checkup! But just because there’s nothing “big” happening at this well visit, doesn’t mean it’s not important. Remember, these checkups are how doctors track your child’s development. It’s a time to ask questions about your child’s 30-month milestones . And these visits ensure that your toddler is getting the care they need to stay healthy!

While visual acuity screening (seeing details of letters or symbols from a distance) is recommended to begin between the ages 4 and 5, cooperative 3-year-olds can easily be tested, too.

Your child’s blood pressure will be checked.

Again, your child may be checked for anemia, lead, and/or tuberculosis, if needed.

Possible questions about sleep, speech and language development, motor skills, and other 3-year milestones

Well-Child Visit Vaccine Schedule: Birth to 2 Years

The first two years are prime for protecting your child against numerous diseases and infections. Here’s the rundown of the recommended vaccine schedule for your little one’s earliest years:

Vaccines at 1-month checkup: HepB vaccine. Sometimes this occurs at Baby’s two-month checkup, instead.

Vaccines at 2-month checkup: RV, DTap, Hib, PCV13, and IPV

Vaccines at 4-month checkup: RV, DTap, Hib, PCV13, and IPV

Vaccines at 6-month checkup: DTap, Hib, PCV13, flu shot. While all 6-month-olds should receive their annual flu shot, your baby’s 6-month checkup may not occur during flu season. If that’s the case, your baby will receive the vaccine later. Regardless, your child may need a second dose of the flu vaccine four weeks after the first. Also, if your Baby received the RotaTeq, (RV5) vaccine, they’ll get their third dose at 6 months.

Vaccines at 9-month checkup: HepB, IPV (though they can be given as early as 6 months and as late as 18 months)

Vaccines at 12-month checkup: Hib, PCV13, MMR, VAR, HepA (second dose ~6 months later). Your baby is eligible for all these vaccines at their one-year checkup, but that doesn’t mean they will all occur at once. For example, babies should receive Hib, PCV13, MMR, VAR vaccines between 12 and 15 months. And you have until 23 months to tick the HepA shot off your list.

For a more in-depth look at the recommended vaccine schedule for children, please check out our soup-to-nuts vaccine guide .

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): 1st Week Checkup Checklist: 3 to 5 days old
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Recommended Vaccinations for Infants and Children, Parent-Friendly Version
Nemours Children’s Health: Hearing Tests
Incorporating Recognition and Management of Perinatal Depression Into Pediatric Practice, Pediatrics, January 2019
AAP: Where We Stand: Vitamin D & Iron Supplements for Babies
AAP: Checkup Checklist: 4 Months Old
AAP: Checkup Checklist: 6 Months Old
AAP: Checkup Checklist: 9 Months Old
AAP: Checkup Checklist: First Birthday (12 Months Old)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Important Milestones: Your Baby By Fifteen Months
AAP: How Pediatricians Screen for Autism
National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations: Pharmacist Administered Vaccines, Updated August 2022, Based on NASPA Analysis of State Pharmacy Practice Laws
CDC: About Child & Teen BMI
Nemours Children’s Health: Your Child's Checkup: 2 Years (24 Months)

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Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.

Preventive care benefits for children

Coverage for children’s preventive health services.

A fixed amount ($20, for example) you pay for a covered health care service after you've paid your deductible.

Refer to glossary for more details.

The percentage of costs of a covered health care service you pay (20%, for example) after you've paid your deductible.

The amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $2,000 deductible, for example, you pay the first $2,000 of covered services yourself.

Alcohol, tobacco, and drug use assessments for adolescents
Autism screening for children at 18 and 24 months
Behavioral assessments for children: Age 0 to 11 months , 1 to 4 years , 5 to 10 years , 11 to 14 years , 15 to 17 years

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Blood pressure screening for children: Age 0 to 11 months , 1 to 4 years , 5 to 10 years , 11 to 14 years , 15 to 17 years
Blood screening for newborns
Depression screening for adolescents beginning routinely at age 12
Developmental screening for children under age 3
Fluoride supplements for children without fluoride in their water source
Fluoride varnish for all infants and children as soon as teeth are present
Gonorrhea preventive medication for the eyes of all newborns
Hematocrit or hemoglobin screening for all children
Hemoglobinopathies or sickle cell screening for newborns
Hepatitis B screening for adolescents at higher risk
HIV screening for adolescents at higher risk
Hypothyroidism screening for newborns
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) HIV prevention medication for HIV-negative adolescents at high risk for getting HIV through sex or injection drug use
Chickenpox (Varicella)
Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)
Haemophilus influenza type b
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Inactivated Poliovirus
Influenza (flu shot)
Meningococcal
Pneumococcal
Obesity screening and counseling
Phenylketonuria (PKU) screening for newborns
Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention counseling and screening for adolescents at higher risk
Tuberculin testing for children at higher risk of tuberculosis: Age 0 to 11 months , 1 to 4 years , 5 to 10 years , 11 to 14 years , 15 to 17 years
Vision screening for all children
Well-baby and well-child visits

More information about preventive services for children

Preventive services for children age 0 to 11 months
Preventive services for children age 1 to 4 years
Preventive services for children age 5 to 10 years
Preventive services for children age 11 to 14 years
Preventive services for children age 15 to 17 years

Resources to Encourage Routine Childhood Vaccinations

Resources for Healthcare Providers
Resources for Parents
Resources for Partners

Help us protect children by doing what you can to get kids caught up on recommended vaccines. During the last few years, there was a concerning drop in routine immunizations for children and adolescents. Routine vaccination coverage is rebounding, but unevenly and has not yet recovered among all groups. Efforts must be made to ensure that all school-aged children are up to date on their routine vaccines, have received recommended COVID-19 vaccines, and routine vaccination coverage is equitably distributed.

Happy child in a lion custome. Text: Let’s play catch-up on routine vaccines

Use this web feature as a link in your social media posts, newsletters or other communication.

Healthcare providers are trusted sources of information for parents and guardians. They can also help families make an informed decision to vaccinate. Explore ways to help catch school-aged children up on vaccination.

You have the power to keep your child healthy. Find answers to common questions about vaccines and resources about routine childhood vaccinations.

From schedules to records, vaccine details to doctor’s office tips, discover helpful vaccination resources. CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend staying on top of routine childhood vaccinations—or catching up on vaccines your child may have missed.

Promote childhood immunization in your community or among your members with the resources below.

Use or customize these messages on your social media platforms to spread the word about childhood vaccination in your community.

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Let’s Play Catch-Up

As your kids catch up on show and tell, make sure they’re caught up on their routine vaccinations today. #VaccinesWork

Link: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/routine

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As kids are catching up on perfecting secret handshakes and creating dances, make sure they are caught up on routine vaccines. Help protect their health. Talk to their doctor. #VaccinesWork

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Just a reminder that your pediatrician can safely help protect your children from vaccine-preventable diseases with routinely recommended vaccinations.

Link: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/visit/vaccination-during-COVID-19.html

Little girl and boy holding hands as they walk up the school stairs.

Power to Protect – First Steps post

Routine childhood vaccinations are an important way to help protect your child from serious diseases, like measles and whooping cough. Check with your child’s doctor to make sure they’re protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. #VaccinesWork https://bit.ly/3qDADEG

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Facebook Messages

Let’s play catch-up – full animation.

Kids don’t want to miss a moment of fun, so make sure your child is caught up on routine vaccinations. Talk to their doctor.

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Kids missed more than having fun at recess. Catch your child up on routine vaccinations. Talk to their doctor.

Let's Play Catch-Up. Child flying a kite.

As your children catch up on flying kites and chasing dreams, talk to their doctor to make sure they are caught up on routine vaccines. Help protect your children’s health today.

Link: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/routine

Routine childhood vaccinations are an important way to help ensure that your child is protected against serious diseases, like measles and whooping cough. Check with your child’s doctor to make sure they’re protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. https://bit.ly/3qDADEG

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Power to Protect – Back to Routines post

Here’s a friendly reminder to make sure that your child is caught up on routinely recommended vaccinations. https://bit.ly/3qDADEG

Instagram Messages

As they get caught up on having the best time ever, make sure they’re caught up on routine vaccinations. #VaccinesWork #CDC #ParentingTips #Parents #School

As your children catch up on kickball, jumping rope, and tag, make sure they’re caught up on routine vaccinations. #VaccinesWork #CDC #ParentingTips #Parents #School

Routine childhood vaccinations are an important way to ensure that your child remains healthy and protected against serious diseases, like measles and whooping cough. Check with your child’s doctor to make sure they’re protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. #VaccinesWork #CDC #ParentingTips #Parents #School

Pinterest Messages

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Vaccines: Power to Protect

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Use this suggested language in emails or digital communications with parents. Include the resources for parents above to educate parents about the importance of childhood immunizations.

As a parent, you want to keep your children safe. Routine childhood vaccinations are an important way to ensure that your child and community remain healthy and protected against serious diseases, like measles and whooping cough.

[YOUR ORGANIZATION] encourages parents to make sure children are up to date on routinely recommended vaccines. Well-child visits and check-ups are essential for routine vaccination.

You can also review the 2023 easy-to-read immunization schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you’re pregnant, now is a great time to find a doctor for your baby and schedule a visit to discuss any questions you have about vaccines.

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Goals of PPC

Current practice efficacy versus effectiveness, recommended changes in ppc, a 2-step process, trust and a therapeutic relationship, team-based care, virtual access, content of ppc, frequency of ppc visits, community partnerships, new quality measures for ppc, financing and payment for ppc, the need for a national policy on ppc, conclusions, pediatric preventive care: population health and individualized care.

Contributed equally as co-first authors.

POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Edward L. Schor , David Bergman; Pediatric Preventive Care: Population Health and Individualized Care. Pediatrics September 2021; 148 (3): e2020049877. 10.1542/peds.2020-049877

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Well-child care is a near-universal service for young children toward which a great deal of time and professional resources are devoted but for which there is scant evidence of effectiveness in routine practice. It is composed of many components, the value of which likely varies with the quality of their provision and the needs and priorities of the children and families who receive them. Achieving more efficient and effective preventive care will require that pediatric practices segment the population they serve and design schedules and staffing to match patients’ health, well-being, personal and social circumstances, and service needs. Care should be individualized and include essential screening, tests, procedures, and education on the basis of assessment of patients’ and families’ needs and priorities. The traditional schedule of individual, comprehensive preventive care visits should be reconsidered and replaced with a schedule that allows complete care to be provided over a series of visits, including those for acute and chronic care. Preventive pediatric care should be provided in family-centered, team-based practices with strong linkages to other providers in the community who serve and support children and families. Care should make use of the wide variety of modalities that exist, and face-to-face time should be reserved for those services that are both important and uniquely responsive to in-office intervention. This model of preventive care will require changes in training, responsibilities and reimbursement of health care team members, and enhanced communication and collaboration among all involved, especially with families.

Pediatric preventive care (PPC) has not realized its full potential. Core screening rates remain variable, health disparities by income and race and/or ethnicity are substantial, chronic illness increases throughout the life course, and life expectancy at birth has declined. The current approach is in need of fundamental change. The quality improvement field prioritizes systemic improvements to address such deficiencies to improve effectiveness and efficiency. 1 In this article, we provide an overview of the current status of PPC and recommend systemic improvements that encompass national health policies, public health activities, payers’ procedures, professional education and care guidelines, and practice-level organization and operation.

To begin, there needs to be agreement on the goals and desired outcomes of well-child care (WCC) and identification of the gaps between intent and achievement. The objectives of PPC have changed over time, as has its content. They have evolved from averting disease and injury to promoting health and well-being, development (physical, cognitive, and socioemotional), and health-related quality of life. 2 Recent expansions include addressing risks, including health behaviors, to prevent the emergence or reduce the impact of social and environmental conditions and experiences that can lead to poor health over the life course 3 and promotion of flourishing and resiliency. 4 Accordingly, these visits have changed to emphasize addressing parents’ needs for information, guidance, and support. 5

Parents’ expectations of WCC differ across and within groups defined by race, ethnicity, culture, and education. In general, parents seek guidance, advice and counseling, immunizations, physical examinations, and reassurance about how well they and their children are doing. 6 , 7 Their expectations are personal and specific and require selective alignment with the extensive content of Bright Futures and numerous clinical reports and policy statements published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which drive practice. 5 The goal of PPC should be to match preventive services with child and family needs and priorities identified by the family and the pediatrician. Doing this effectively will require greater adherence to the components of the medical home concept (care that is accessible, continuous, patient centered, team based, and comprehensive) and will require applying principles of population health in practices while strengthening individualized care.

WCC visits make up a substantial and increasing part of pediatric practice. 8 , 9 Unfortunately, there is scant evidence that WCC as typically provided has a demonstrable impact on children’s health and well-being. 10 – 12 Some individual components of WCC have been demonstrated to be feasible and efficacious in controlled studies, but there is less evidence that they are being effectively applied in practice. Significantly different rates of screening occur between feasibility of studies and surveys of practitioners. For example, in a quality improvement study of rates of adolescent depression screening in intervention practices, adolescents were 3.5 times more likely to be screened than those in other practices and had 37.5 times greater odds of being screened with a validated tool. 13 The US Preventive Services Task Force, which applies the most rigorous criteria, has found sufficient evidence to recommend only a few components of usual WCC: immunizations and screening for vision, obesity, dental caries, and major depressive disorders among adolescents, as well as counseling adolescents about sexually transmitted diseases and tobacco use initiation. 14

Although expansion of public health insurance has noticeably increased children’s potential access to preventive care, the 2017 national average use rate for preventive services by children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program was 58% of recommended visits. It is highest in the first year of life, then drops substantially, 6 , 15 – 17 but is higher when patients have a regular source of care. 18 , 19 Screening rates remain low, immunizations are not complete, parents report unmet needs, and attendance is not good, remaining far below what is recommended. There are no data on the extent to which preventive visit content is individualized, but studies reveal that content is often incomplete relative to professional recommendations. 20 – 26 For example, even with clear policy recommendations for universal developmental screening 27 since 2006, current screening rates of young children 28 , 29 range between ∼30% and 36%. Similarly, only 72.5% of children 5 years old have ever had their vision tested. 30 Anticipatory guidance, despite consuming up to one-third of visit time, does not consistently meet families’ needs. 31

Contributing to these data, some parents do not see value in WCC beyond immunizations, and for others, the failure to address their concerns, questions, and priorities reduces the perceived value of and attendance at these visits. Even when visits are made, the breadth and depth of preventive services delivered vary widely because of factors such as continuity, privacy, clinician skill, race and/or ethnicity, language, gender, and clinician time. 32 – 34 Ironically, children with potentially the greatest need for PPC, those in low-income and racial minority families or whose parents have lower educational attainment, are less likely to receive preventive care. 35 – 37 Challenging change and contrary to evidence, pediatricians generally feel that preventive care is going well. 38 Most have positive attitudes toward serving as a medical home for their patients, although they feel that their positive mindsets are not sufficient to overcome the barriers they perceive in terms of personnel, skills, and time. 39

Perhaps too much is being expected of pediatric practices, 40 , 41 especially in the limited time pediatricians have available. 34 Perhaps some of what is being provided is not necessary for every child or family. 42 – 44 Perhaps some is not necessary at all. 45 The question may not be if PPC is effective, but rather for whom, by whom, with what content, with what modalities, in what circumstances, and over what period is it effective.

The previous observations suggest several systemic recommendations for the profession to consider, many of which have been advocated for previously.

The transformation of PPC into a system of care that is valued, high quality, and enhances the well-being of children is possible because most pediatricians value their role in promoting children’s health and desire to provide appropriate and effective care. 46 It requires care tailored to the needs and preferences of families, a team-based approach, external partnerships and adjunctive support to pediatric practices, individualized content and periodicity schedules, changes in how families access care, and use of technology to assess needs, monitor health and development, and educate families. In addition, the profession needs to promote preventive care by distinguishing it from treatment care and encouraging attendance 47 through public education, outreach to patients, and advocacy for social policy to promote prevention as a social norm and as an investment in human capital. 48 Payers, public and private, need to be educated about the value to them and society of promoting children’s health.

Key to practice transformation is a two-step approach to better align services with families’ needs, priorities, and strengths. The first step, based on principles of population health, requires characterizing and segmenting the practice’s population according to health status and/or social risk factors. This tiering is intended to allow practices to prospectively identify the number and type of patients who will need more or less intense and complex preventive care. With this knowledge, practices can adjust scheduling, staffing, and other practice characteristics for greatest efficiency.

Practices can segment their population using their own strategies and a variety of risk indicators available through patient registries, public databases, medical records, and their own observations. These indicators are usually sorted into domains, especially demographic, social, economic, educational, health, and environmental. Many of these indicators co-occur. 49 – 54 Thoughtfully done and with the advice of families, such practice population tiering can help determine the types of services and resources that are needed to meet primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive care needs. Health plans can assist practices by applying tiering algorithms based on the administrative data of their enrollees 55 , 56 and sharing the results with the practices serving those patients.

Segmenting patient populations is useful for planning and redesign at a practice or system level, but it is a relatively coarse tool and may misclassify families and not accurately reflect recent movement between risk tiers. To alleviate these concerns and ensure appropriate care, the second step is to individualize visit schedules, content, and modalities. Key to individualization is that practices regularly employ standardized assessment protocols to identify both the strengths and needs of individual patients and families and use this information as the basis of a care plan for each child.

Care should be based on a relationship of trust, a continuous, therapeutic relationship between the patient, family, and health care professional(s). PPC visits are an important opportunity for that to develop 46 , 57 , 58 ; healing relationships can be created in all types of patient encounters when the principles of patient-centered care are applied. 59 , 60 Such care is empathetic and respectful of parents’ expertise and responsive to individual patients’ beliefs, preferences, priorities, and needs; it ensures that families’ values guide all medical decisions. 5 , 61 – 65

Relationships are a two-way street and, as such, are influenced by patients’ beliefs, attitudes, and experiences. 66 – 68 Trust in the medical profession may be in short supply by some groups, especially African Americans, who have a history of being mistreated by health care providers. 69 The intersection of trust and patients’ beliefs has been evident in parents’ attitudes toward accepting advice on immunizations versus other topics. 70 – 72 Trust can be built by providing prepared, individualized discussion of the personal circumstances of the patient; continuity; and active collaboration in decision-making about what problems to address, the content of treatment plans, and the promotion of health. 73 – 77

The use of team-based care, including colocation, has been shown to result in more appropriate use and adherence, enhanced referrals, reduced hospitalizations and other efficiencies, and improved patient functional status and satisfaction with care. 78 – 82 Pediatricians have supported changing their role and sharing and coordinating some key responsibilities for preventive care with a variety of professionals within and outside the practice, 31 , 83 yet change has lagged. Slow adoption reflects the often required changes in the culture and organization of practices and reimbursement for care, in interactions within the practice, and in education and training. 84 , 85

The use of technologies to enhance access to PPC is not new, 86 but they have been underused. 87 , 88 The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic prompted rapid, widespread adoption of virtual preventive, acute, and chronic care. Despite the profession’s preference for in-person care, 89 , 90 telehealth and asynchronous communication are more convenient for families who must otherwise devote time and resources to travel, and families will increasingly expect practices to routinely use this technology. Other technologies, such as texting and remote monitoring, allow for timely reminders and more continuous monitoring of children, as well as real-time communication with the provider team. The use of new technologies has been supported by research demonstrating technology’s value in patient education and adherence and health care quality. 91 , 92 Changes in state health policies and in reimbursement are also needed to enable practices to use more technology in all aspects of care while retaining in-person visits as a means to monitor, diagnose, and communicate only when necessary.

Pediatricians know that providing all patients with the same bundle of preventive services, including services to promote health and development, makes no sense. Bright Futures’ guidance provides a thoughtful and comprehensive menu for the content of PPC visits that can be used by pediatricians and parents to individualize anticipatory guidance. Its wealth of suggested content requires prioritization by the pediatrician and parents, so expectations for visits are reasonable and meet the existing and anticipated needs of the family. 38 , 93

Structured, individualized assessments, including elucidating families’ goals, can help match visit contents with child and family needs. To enhance efficiency, some of these assessments can be done before the visit, allowing the pediatrician to tailor the encounter to meet parents’ concerns, questions, and priorities. 94 Tools such as the Well Visit Planner have been shown to assist parents in understanding their goals for their child, prioritize topics for discussion during the well-child encounter, and decrease the number of visits to the emergency department. 95 , 96 Special consideration needs to be given on how to best provide preventive care to children in low-income families, those living geographically distant from medical care, recent or not fully acculturated immigrants, children with special health care needs, and children who have experienced trauma or discrimination, as well as families with language barriers or low health literacy and families troubled by mental illness, substance abuse, or interpersonal violence. Tiering practice populations can assist with this determination.

Families have the primary responsibility for children’s health and development and health and health care behaviors, and pediatricians appreciate that often the best way to help children is to help their parents. To accomplish this, focusing on families’ needs, capacity, and goals is essential as advice and guidance are offered.

Pediatrician-provided anticipatory guidance is the near-universal approach to facilitating the families’ role in their children’s health and well-being. Anticipatory guidance includes child development and behavior, safety, nutrition, oral health, family support, physical activity, and community ties. Being able to provide guidance on all those topics means overcoming a number of systemic barriers and can be a daunting, if not impossible, task for the pediatrician; documented successful anticipatory interventions are limited. 97 – 99 Most successful guidance requires multiple contacts over an extended period. Maximizing the impact of PPC requires that care be individualized, perhaps by using a list of anticipatory guidance topics for each family based on their needs and interpreted within the context of the families’ personal history, their cultural background, and their children’s health and development.

Words have meaning, so the term “well-child care” should be reconsidered. Many children are not truly well. They may have a chronic illness or significant risks, including social, psychological, educational, and medical, and may be in greater need of preventive services than others. Preventive services should not be confined to scheduled preventive care visits. 100 , 101

PPC visits generally follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ periodicity schedule, a timetable initially driven by immunization schedules and the child’s age. 102 Strict adherence to standard schedules and content for each PPC visit for all children is likely to be inefficient and variably effective, but there are no data on how often different schedules are used. Fewer visits may be sufficient for healthy 103 or latter-born children, and additional visits may be necessary for some children and families. Standardized preventive care schedules may work for most children, but, like PPC, visit content and schedules should be individualized to account for different care needs.

The provision of pediatric care is only one contributor to achieving optimal child health and development. Pediatricians have an important role in preventing the adverse impacts of social factors on children’s health and families’ functioning, primarily by effectively screening children’s and families’ circumstances, needs, and strengths, and connecting families to appropriate and acceptable sources of social assistance either embedded in their practices or in the community. 104 – 107 Consequently, the services of many sectors (medical, social services, public health, education, religion, recreation, and environment) are required. To connect families to these other services, practices must have established linkages with community programs, supported by good communication, navigation, and care coordination. There is evidence that screening followed by appropriate referrals can enhance families’ ability to meet their children’s needs. 108 , 109

When partnering with others to promote children’s healthy development, the use of similar screening instruments and protocols, shared care planning and plans, shared data, common metrics, memoranda of understanding, colocation, and enhanced communication by using information technology can be helpful. 110

There are a growing number of programs specifically designed to supplement and support the services provided by primary care practices. 26 , 111 These include such things as developmental screening and school-readiness assessments done in early care and education settings, referral support and care coordination, legal assistance, behavioral health care, child development expertise, parent education, and home visiting. Although some of these programs are well established and evidence based, few are reaching significant numbers of practices and families.

Practice change should be driven by achievement of desired outcomes through quality measurement and improvement. Unfortunately, there is little agreement on how best to measure the quality of PPC. Most measures are counts of processes enumerated in the periodicity schedule and rates of attendance at visits. These measures fail to capture the totality of WCC or reflect the substantial efforts made by child health care providers to improve the health and well-being of their patients.

To improve quality measurement, a crucial first step would be reaching agreement on the intended outcomes of PPC. 112 For example, PPC for children aged 0 to 5 years could emphasize the contributions of health care to school-readiness outcomes, which have been previously described; although most are assessed through process measures, they document the provision of important services. 113 The creation of individualized preventive care plans and shared plans of care can guide care and provide the basis for assessing the achievement of desired outcomes. Quality measurement can also document actions consequent to screening, generally referral to community-based programs.

Most measures of PPC quality cannot be based on child outcomes given the difficulty ascribing credit to brief intermittent clinical encounters, the multifactorial etiology of the desired outcomes, and their manifestations distant in time from preventive care. The impact of preventive care is the result of cumulative health care encounters over time and calls for a unit of analysis composed of a series of visits or episodes of care rather than a single intervention. 114 PPC quality measurement could focus on the proximal outcomes of attaining desired changes in parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors vis-à-vis their children and on changes in children’s health behaviors, such as exercise and healthy eating, in response to their parents’ cues and guidance.

PPC done well must provide greater equity in children’s care and outcomes across races and/or ethnicities, socioeconomic status, and insurance status. Examining quality performance by those demographic variables, as well as providing a more comprehensive view of family well-being by using health-related quality of life measures, can help ensure parity of care across diverse groups.

Payers determine which services will be paid for and which providers are eligible for payment. Administratively, little distinction is made between preventive care and treatment, so the same rules tend to apply to both. Because much of preventive care can be provided by nonphysicians and some by nonprofessionals, existing provider eligibility and scope-of-practice rules may be restricting efficiency and innovation in preventive care.

Preventive care does not align well with insured services because most services and associated costs, when adjusted for population characteristics, are predictable and thus do not require the shared risk underlying insurance. Preventive care financing could be separated from other health care financing, especially when volume-based fee-for-service payment is used and covered as a universal benefit without copayments. 115 Similarly, PPC could be funded through a risk- or tier-adjusted capitated payment, allowing resources to better match patients’ needs. 116 Another proposed approach is a blended or braided multisector fund supported by public programs in health, education, child welfare, and juvenile justice to address social factors affecting their clients. 117 All of these approaches provide flexibility and opportunities for innovation not easily available under a fee-for-service system. As has been done in some other countries, 84 they would enable a wider variety of care providers to be reimbursed for their services; would enable care to be provided at additional sites, such as schools and homes; and would enable wrap-around services, such as outreach and care coordination, to be provided. All would provide health care systems and practices with ways to address social determinants of health and thus reduce some health disparities.

Lastly, successful practice transformation depends on the presence of key drivers for change. These drivers can be divided into 3 categories: cultural, financial, and personal. Cultural change includes an enhanced valuing of child development and PPC on the part of both providers and parents. PPC lacks a “burning platform” to motivate change and will require enhanced recognition of the value of individualized PPC in achieving long-term outcomes for children’s health and development. A financial impetus of change has been discussed above and requires alignment of resources to support PPC. A cultural change asks providers to reassert the value of developing long-term, healing relationships with families as consistent with their vision of becoming a health care professional and as an antidote to disenchantment with practice.

Unlike most other developed countries, the Unite States has no comprehensive federal oversight or planning for either adult preventive care or PPC, no defined infrastructure for prevention within medical practices or in communities, and demonstrably inadequate support for existing public health systems. 118 , 119 Some assurance that children will access some aspects of preventive care is provided by states through immunization policies and Medicaid Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment benefits and other public insurance programs and locales through child care and school entry and participation requirements. Medical care is partly driven by budgetary considerations even in nonprofit settings. Consequently, there is substantial variability in access, content, and quality of PPC depending on where a child lives and how care is reimbursed. 120 Health care reform efforts over the past 2 decades have focused on short-term cost containment primarily related to adult chronic illness. In contrast, expenditures on health care for children and young adults must be viewed as a long-term societal investment, a view that is at odds with our current budgetary approach, which focuses on short-term returns on investments. 114 , 121 , 122 Consequently, it is unlikely that market forces alone can accomplish the changes needed to better finance PPC; this will require legislative and regulatory action as well. 123 In most states, Medicaid pays less for medical care than Medicare or commercial insurance. Because Medicaid is disproportionately the source of payment for medical care for children from low-income families and children of color, their care is especially susceptible to the effects of poor payment. 124 Publicly financed health care, Medicare and Medicaid, should provide parity of payment, especially for preventive care, regardless of the age of the patient, so that providers caring for children with public insurance are paid adequately and so opportunities for access and quality exist.

There is a need for articulated policy goals and visible action to improve the health of children and the functioning of their families. 123 Governments, informed by families and professionals, should establish and enforce system and care standards to ensure capacity for equity, provision of indicated services, and monitoring of performance. 125 A priority of those efforts should be to reduce disparities in the health of children in the Unites States. Achieving health equality will require policy support for multisector efforts to address the medical, social, and educational factors influencing children’s health and well-being. The Integrated Care for Kids model of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is such an effort and is aimed at integrating care across behavioral, physical, and other health-related social services and community-based child providers while sharing accountability for cost and outcomes. 126

PPC requires thoughtful differentiation from acute and chronic care within practices and substantial change from current practice. Changes should address intervals and durations of visits, visit contents, pre- and postvisit actions, staffing and team membership, the application of new technologies, and formal linkages to adjunctive and supportive community services. 127 Preventive care can be more efficient and effective by applying principles of population health management that reflect the impact of families’ values and social circumstances and by individualizing care on the basis of standardized, comprehensive assessment. New quality measures are needed for key processes, including those that address social determinants of health and behavioral outcomes of the child and family. Payment needs to evolve toward risk-adjusted capitation that supports practice infrastructure, collaboration, direct services to the child, and interventions to enhance parents’ capacity to promote their children’s health and development.

Dr Schor conceptualized the article, drafted the initial manuscript, and reviewed and revised the manuscript. Dr Bergman drafted the initial manuscript and reviewed and revised the manuscript; and all authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

This special article does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product or device.

FUNDING: No external funding.

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For Caleb Carr, Salvation Arrived on Little Cat’s Feet

As he struggled with writing and illness, the “Alienist” author found comfort in the feline companions he recalls in a new memoir, “My Beloved Monster.”

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An illustration shows a fluffy, tawny-colored cat sitting in a garden of brightly colored lavender, red and purple flowers.

By Alexandra Jacobs

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MY BELOVED MONSTER: Masha, the Half-Wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me, by Caleb Carr

J. Alfred Prufrock measured his life out in coffee spoons . Caleb Carr has done so in cats.

Carr is best known for his 1994 best-selling novel “ The Alienist ,” about the search for a serial killer of boy prostitutes, and his work as a military historian. You have to prod the old brain folds a little more to remember that he is the middle son of Lucien Carr , the Beat Generation figure convicted of manslaughter as a 19-year-old Columbia student after stabbing his infatuated former Boy Scout leader and rolling the body into the Hudson.

This crime is only fleetingly alluded to in “My Beloved Monster,” which tracks Carr’s intimate relationship with a blond Siberian feline he names Masha — but his father haunts the book, as fathers will, more sinisterly than most.

After a short prison term, Lucien went on to become a respectable longtime editor for United Press International. He was a drunk — no surprise there, with famous dissolute-author pals like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg hanging around the house. But that he regularly beat Caleb and threw him down flights of stairs, causing not just psychological but physical injuries that persist into adult life, adds further dark shadings to this particular chapter of literary history.

In a boyhood marred by abuse, neglect and the upheaval of his parents’ divorce, cats were there to comfort and commune with Caleb. Indeed, he long believed he was one in a previous life, “ imperfectly or incompletely reincarnated ” as human, he writes.

Before you summon Shirley MacLaine to convene 2024’s weirdest author panel, consider the new ground “My Beloved Monster” breaks just by existing. Even leaving aside the countless novels about them, dogs have long been thought valid subjects for book-length treatment, from Virginia Woolf’s “ Flush ,” about Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s cocker spaniel, to John Grogan’s “ Marley and Me .” Meow-moirs are thinner on the ground.

It’s taken a younger generation of feminists, and probably the boredom and anxiety of quarantine, to destigmatize (and in some cases monetize ) being owned by a cat. Male cat fanciers, however, have long been stereotyped as epicene or eccentric, though their number has included such national pillars of machismo as Ernest Hemingway and Marlon Brando . When one male lawyer accidentally showed up to a civil forfeiture hearing behind a kitten filter on Zoom in 2021, America went wild with the incongruity.

Carr, though he’s a big one for research, doesn’t waste much time, as I just have, throat-clearing about cats’ perch in the culture. He’s suffered from one painful illness after another — neuropathy, pancreatitis, peritonitis, Covid or something Covid-like, cancer; and endured multiple treatments and surgeries, some “botched” — and his writing has the forthrightness and gravity of someone who wants to maximize his remaining time on Earth.

He capitalizes not only Earth, but the Sun, the Moon and the roles played by various important anonymous humans in his life, which gives his story a sometimes ponderous mythic tone: there’s the Mentor, the Lady Vet (a homage to Preston Sturges’ “The Lady Eve”; Carr is a classic movie buff), the Spinal Guru and so forth.

Names are reserved for a succession of cats, who have seemingly been as important to Carr as lovers or human friends, if not more so. (At least one ex felt shortchanged by comparison.) Masha is his spirit animal, a feminine counterpart better than any you could find in the old New York Review of Books personals . She eats, he notes admiringly, “like a barbarian queen”; she enjoys the music of Mahler, Sibelius, Rachmaninoff and Wagner (“nothing — and I’ll include catnip in this statement,” he writes, “made her as visibly overjoyed as the Prelude from ‘Das Rheingold’”); she has a really great set of whiskers.

Before Masha there was Suki, blond as well, but a bewitching emerald-eyed shorthair who chomped delicately around rodents’ organs and disappeared one night. Suki was preceded by Echo, a part-Abyssinian with an adorable-sounding penchant for sticking his head in Carr’s shirtfront pocket. Echo was preceded by Chimene, a tabby-splotched white tomcat the adolescent Caleb nurses miraculously through distemper. Chimene was preceded by Ching-ling, whose third litter of kittens suffer a deeply upsetting fate. And before Ching-ling there was Zorro, a white-socked “superlative mouser” who once stole an entire roast chicken from the top of the Carr family’s refrigerator.

To put it mildly, “My Beloved Monster” is no Fancy Feast commercial. All of the cats in it, city and country — Carr has lived in both, though the action is centered at his house on a foothill of Misery Mountain in Rensselaer County, N.Y— are semi-feral creatures themselves at constant risk of gruesome predation. Masha, rescued from a shelter, had also been likely abused, at the very least abandoned in a locked apartment, and Carr is immediately, keenly attuned to her need for wandering free.

This, of course, will put her at risk. The tension between keeping her safe and allowing her to roam, out there with bears, coyotes and fearsome-sounding creatures called fisher weasels, is the central vein of “My Beloved Monster,” and the foreboding is as thick as her triple-layered fur coat. More so when you learn Carr keeps a hunting rifle by one of his easy chairs.

But the book is also about Carr’s devotion to a line of work he likens to “professional gambling.” Despite his best sellers, Hollywood commissions and conscious decision not to have children to stop the “cycle of abuse,” Carr has faced money troubles. The I.R.S. comes to tape a placard to his door and he’s forced to sell vintage guitars to afford Masha’s medications, for she has begun in eerie parallel to develop ailments of her own.

“My Beloved Monster’ is a loving and lovely, lay-it-all-on-the-line explication of one man’s fierce attachment. If you love cats and feel slightly sheepish about it, it’s a sturdy defense weapon. If you hate them, well, there’s no hope for you.

MY BELOVED MONSTER : Masha, the Half-Wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me | By Caleb Carr | Little, Brown | 352 pp. | $32

Alexandra Jacobs is a Times book critic and occasional features writer. She joined The Times in 2010. More about Alexandra Jacobs

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AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits
The Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed a set of comprehensive health guidelines for well-child care, known as the "periodicity schedule." It is a schedule of screenings and assessments recommended at each well-child visit from infancy through adolescence. Schedule of well-child visits. The first week visit (3 to 5 ...
Well-Child Visits and Recommended Vaccinations
Well-child visits and recommended vaccinations are essential and help make sure children stay healthy. Children who are not protected by vaccines are more likely to get diseases like measles and whooping cough. These diseases are extremely contagious and can be very serious, especially for babies and young children.
Your Guide to Well-Baby Visits During Your Child's First Year
Your baby's first official checkup (and first immunization) will take place at the hospital. After that, well-baby visits are scheduled throughout the first two years at: The first week (usually a couple of days after you're discharged from the hospital) 1 month. 2 months.
Preventive Care/Periodicity Schedule
The Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care, also known as the "Periodicity Schedule," is a schedule of screenings and assessments recommended at each well-child visit from infancy through adolescence. Each child and family is unique; therefore, these recommendations are designed ...
Well-Check Schedule for Children
7-10 years: Annual well-child check. Vision/hearing and TB screenings; any immunizations previously missed. 11-12 years: Annual well-child check. Depression and TB screenings; DTaP, HPV and ...
Make the Most of Your Baby's Visit to the Doctor (Ages 0 to 11 Months
A well-baby visit is when you take your baby to the doctor to make sure they're healthy and developing normally. This is different from other visits for sickness or injury. At a well-baby visit, the doctor or nurse can help catch any problems early, when they may be easier to treat. You'll also have a chance to ask any questions you have ...
Well-Child Visits for Infants and Young Children
Immunizations are usually administered at the two-, four-, six-, 12-, and 15- to 18-month well-child visits; the four- to six-year well-child visit; and annually during influenza season ...
What to expect at your baby's well-child visits
Your baby's first well-child visit will usually be scheduled for when they're 3 to 5 days old. Your clinician will review the results of any screening tests your baby had in the hospital. They will also give your baby the Hepatitis B vaccine if it wasn't already given at the hospital. At every well-child visit, your baby's clinician ...
American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Annual Recommendations On ...
Lisa [email protected]. The American Academy of Pediatrics has released its 2023 Bright Futures recommendations for preventive pediatric health care, also known as the Periodicity Schedule. The AAP describes the screenings and assessments recommended at each well-child visit from infancy through adolescence in order to optimize ...
Well-Care Visits
When should well-care visits be scheduled? Your child's healthcare provider will give you a schedule of ages when a well-care visit is suggested. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends well-care visits at the following ages: Before a newborn is discharged from the hospital, or at 48 to 72 hours of age. 3 to 5 days. 2 to 4 weeks. 2 months.
Well-Child Visits: Parent and Patient Education
Beginning at the 7 year visit, there is both a Parent and Patient education handout (in English and Spanish). For the Bright Futures Parent Handouts for well-child visits up to 2 years of age, translations of 12 additional languages (PDF format) are made possible thanks to the generous support of members, staff, and businesses who donate to the ...
Your Stage-by-Stage Guide to Well-Child Visits
Regular well-child visits can keep your kid and family healthy and prevent serious illness. It's normal to have questions as they quickly grow from birth to adulthood. Make sure you have plenty of time before and after their checkup to avoid any stress. Write down questions or concerns as soon as they come to mind before your kid's well ...
The 12-Month Well-Baby Visit
MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) HepA (hepatitis A) Varicella (chicken pox) Now may also be the time for another dose of these vaccines. Remember, your little one needs all the recommended doses to be fully protected: HepB (hepatitis B) Hib (haemophilus influenzae type b) PCV 13 (pneumococcal disease)
Well-Child Visit: What's Included and When to Go
Take blood pressure. Measure oxygen levels. Listen to your child's lungs. Look at your child's eyes, ears, and throat. Press on your child's tummy to feel organs. Move your child's hips ...
Quick guide to your infant's first pediatrician visits
Checkups usually begin with measurements. During first-year visits, a nurse or your baby's health care provider will measure and record your baby's length, head circumference and weight. Your child's measurements will be plotted on his or her growth chart. This will help you and the provider see how your child's size compares with that ...
What happens during a well-baby checkup?
3- to 5-day well-baby checkup. Just a few days after birth, your baby's first checkup appointment will take place with the doctor you've chosen for them. In some cases, babies may need to be seen sooner than the recommended 3-5 days after birth. For example, if a newborn has jaundice, or weight or feeding issues, they may need to be seen ...
Schedule of Well-Child Checkups
Well-Child Checkup Schedule. Well-child checkups are crucial for keeping your little one healthy and safe as she grows and develops. Below you will find the standard schedule of well-child checkups for the first three years, along with a few examples of what may come up during each checkup. Beginning at age 3, most children will have annual ...
Well-Child Visits: Schedule, Immunizations, & Appointments
Toddler Well-Child Visits. 15-Month Well-Child Visit. 18-Month Well-Child Visit. 24-Month Well-Child Visit. 30-Month Well-Child Visit. 3-Year Well-Child Visit. Vaccines Schedule From 0-2 Years. While it's a no-brainer that you take your baby or toddler to the doctor when they're sick, it's also important to bring your child to the ...
Preventive care benefits for children
Blood pressure screening for children: Age 0 to 11 months , 1 to 4 years , 5 to 10 years , 11 to 14 years , 15 to 17 years. Blood screening for newborns. Depression screening for adolescents beginning routinely at age 12. Developmental screening for children under age 3. Dyslipidemia screening.
Resources to Encourage Routine Childhood Vaccinations
Routine childhood vaccinations are an important way to ensure that your child and community remain healthy and protected against serious diseases, like measles and whooping cough. [YOUR ORGANIZATION] encourages parents to make sure children are up to date on routinely recommended vaccines. Well-child visits and check-ups are essential for ...
Well-Care Visits
410-955-5000 Maryland. 855-695-4872 Outside of Maryland. +1-410-502-7683 International. In addition to taking your child to the healthcare provider when your child is ill, or needs an exam to participate in a particular activity, routine well-care visits for your child are recommended.
Pediatric Preventive Care: Population Health and Individualized Care
Duration of a well-child visit: association with content, family-centeredness, and satisfaction. Pediatrics. 2011; 128 (4): 657 - 664. Google Scholar. Crossref. Search ADS 35. Abdus S, Selden TM. Adherence with recommended well-child visits has grown, but large gaps persist among various socioeconomic groups.
Book Review: 'My Beloved Monster' by Caleb Carr
J. Alfred Prufrock measured his life out in coffee spoons.Caleb Carr has done so in cats. Carr is best known for his 1994 best-selling novel "The Alienist," about the search for a serial ...

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The benefits of well-child visits

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Make the Most of Your Baby’s Visit to the Doctor (Ages 0 to 11 Months)

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Well-Baby Visits

Child Development

By age 2 months, most babies:

By age 4 months, most babies:

By age 6 months, most babies:

By age 9 months, most babies:

What if I'm worried about my baby's development?

Gather important information.

What about cost?

Ask Questions

Here are some questions you may want to ask:

Ask what to do if your baby gets sick.

What to Expect

The doctor or nurse will ask questions about your baby.

Physical Exam

Reviewer Information

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Protect Yourself from Seasonal Flu

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Clinical Examination

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

MATERNAL DEPRESSION

PSYCHOSOCIAL

DEVELOPMENT AND SURVEILLANCE

IRON DEFICIENCY

IMMUNIZATIONS

Anticipatory Guidance

DENTAL CARE

SCREEN TIME

DIET AND ACTIVITY

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More in AFP

Well-Care Visits

What is a well-care visit?

When should well-care visits be scheduled?

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Well-Child Visits: Parent and Patient Education

Parent Educational Handouts

3 to 5 Day Visit

1 Month Visit

2 Month Visit

4 Month Visit

6 Month Visit

9 Month Visit

12 Month Visit

15 Month Visit

18 Month Visit

2 Year Visit

2.5 Year Visit

3 Year Visit

4 Year Visit

5-6 Year Visit

7-8 Year Visit

7-8 Year Visit - For Patients

9-10 Year Visit

9-10 Year Visit - For Patients

11-14 Year Visit

11-14 Year Visit - For Patients

15-17 Year Visit

15-17 Year Visit - For Patients

18-21 Year Visit - For Patients

The 12-Month Well-Baby Visit

Go to Your Baby's Age

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Quick guide to your infant’s first pediatrician visits

Body measurements

Physical exam

Bowel and bladder function

Sleeping status

Development

Vaccinations