Regular well-child examinations by your child's doctor are essential to keep your child healthy and up-to-date with immunizations against many dangerous childhood diseases. A checkup also gives your child's doctor an opportunity to talk to you about developmental and safety issues and gives you an opportunity to ask any questions you might have about your child's overall health.

Your child's doctor will also check for crossed eyes and ask about or specifically test for vision and hearing problems.

Your child's teeth will be examined for tooth decay, abnormal tooth development, malocclusion (abnormal bite), dental injuries, and other problems. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children visit the dentist no later than age 3, many dentists and pediatricians feel that children should be examined routinely by the dentist at age 12 months - or earlier if problems are suspected.

At this age, most children should have had the following recommended immunizations:

• four doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine
• three doses of polio (IPV) vaccine
• four doses of Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine
• one dose of MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine
• three doses of hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B)
• one dose of varicella (chicken pox) vaccine

Your child's doctor will make sure your child's immunizations are up-to-date.

Your child's doctor will also check developmental progress. He or she will ask a number of questions to see if your child's everyday behavior is age appropriate, including how well your child communicates with others, how she behaves around other children, and whether she can identify family members or follow simple instructions without gestured cues (such as "Come here"). The doctor may also check for specific milestones: Can your child kick a ball? Use two-word phrases? Imitate adults? Stack seven blocks?

Child safety is another topic doctors discuss at well-child visits. Your child's doctor will reinforce the importance of using age-appropriate car seats, closely supervising children around swimming pools, preventing poisoning, not smoking around children, using sunscreen, and protecting children against exposed wires, outlets, and heat sources. In homes with firearms, guns and ammunition should be stored separately and kept locked at all times.

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