Well-Child Visits: What to Expect at Each Age

Experts have found that children who visit their pediatrician regularly are healthier and less likely to need visits to the emergency room. Yet, life can get busy and it’s easy to skip a recommended visit, especially if your child seems healthy.

However, skipping well-child visits can cause your child to miss important preventive health screenings and vaccinations. Plus, health issues can get missed and go untreated.

Scheduling well-child visits is an important part of preventive health care. While health screenings can vary based on your child’s health needs and family history, here’s what you can generally expect at each visit.

Infancy (0-12 months)

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants get their first well child-child visit within the first three to five days of life. Then, you will usually have six more pediatrician visits before your baby turns one. During these visits, you can typically expect the following preventive health care screenings.

Physical Exam: The pediatrician will examine your child from head to toe, including checking their heart, lungs, stomach, and more. They will also examine your baby’s eyes, ears, nose, and throat. Plus, they will check their reflexes and muscles to make sure everything is functioning normally.
Tracking Growth: At each visit, the pediatrician will measure your baby’s weight, length, and head circumference. They will track those numbers over time to ensure your little one is developing normally.
Developmental Screenings: The pediatrician will make sure your baby is meeting all their developmental milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up, responding to sounds, smiling, cooing, and making eye contact. If any delays are noticed, the pediatrician can address them.
Immunizations: During the first year, infants begin to receive a number of important vaccinations to help protect them against diseases, such as hepatitis B, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), polio, PCV (pneumococcal), and RV (rotavirus).

Early Childhood (1-4 years)

As your child grows, it's important to keep up with their regular well-child checkups. Most pediatricians will want to see your child at 15, 18, 24, and 30 months, and then again near their third and fourth birthdays. In addition to continuing the health screenings recommended above, your child’s pediatrician will usually add the following screenings.

Vision and Hearing: The pediatrician will check your child’s vision and hearing, including checking for amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), hearing impairments, and more. That way they can treat any issues before they can affect your child’s learning and development.
Targeted Health Screenings: At these visits, pediatricians will add additional screenings, such as testing your child’s hemoglobin levels for anemia (low iron), as well as screening for tuberculosis and lead exposure if needed.
Blood Pressure: Since high blood pressure (hypertension) is a silent issue—meaning it has no symptoms—pediatricians often begin annual screenings for high blood pressure (hypertension) beginning at age three. This test is becoming even more important as childhood obesity rates rise.

Middle Childhood (5-10 years)

Once your child reaches school age, they will usually have annual well-child visits near their birthday. These visits are important for monitoring your child’s health and growth and will still include a thorough physical exam. Yet, there’s more to these visits as your child gets older.

Social and Emotional Development: The pediatrician will check in on how your child is doing socially and emotionally, including how they interact with friends, handle their feelings, and manage school stress. This is a great time to bring up any worries you might have about your child's friendships or emotional well-being.
Cholesterol Screening: Between the ages of 9 and 11, it’s a good idea to have your child’s cholesterol levels checked if they have risk factors such as a family history of heart problems or if your child is dealing with obesity. Catching and treating cholesterol issues early can help to prevent heart issues down the road.
Developmental Milestones: Your child’s pediatrician will continue to keep an eye on how they’re hitting their developmental milestones. If issues like attention deficit disorder (ADD), anxiety, or depression arise, the pediatrician can help to address them.

Adolescence (11-17 years)

Annual well-child visits become even more important during adolescence to monitor growth, puberty, and overall health. In addition to the screenings mentioned above, these visits will often include the following check-ins.

Mental Health: The pediatrician will check on your child’s mental health, including screening for anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and more.
Scoliosis Screening: Scoliosis, which is an abnormal curvature of the spine, can affect posture if left untreated. Therefore, the Children’s Scoliosis Foundation recommends pediatricians check for scoliosis in girls between the ages of 9 and 10, and for boys between 11-12.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Screening: These tests are recommended for sexually active adolescents or those with specific risk factors. These screenings help to make sure infections are caught and treated quickly.
Immunizations: Pediatricians will provide catch-up vaccines and boosters as needed, including Tdap, MCV, and HPV vaccines for both boys and girls.

Keeping Your Child Healthy at Every Age

Regular well-child visits are key to ensuring your child's health and well-being. These appointments ensure that they stay current with all necessary screenings and vaccines and that health issues are spotted and treated quickly. Plus, you will know you’re doing everything you can to set your child up for a lifetime of good health.