MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Well-child visits

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Well-child visits

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Illustrations Definition	Information

Illustrations

Well baby visits

Definition Return to top

Childhood is a time of rapid growth and change. Pediatric well-child visits are most frequent when the child’s development is most rapid.

Each visit includes a complete physical examination. This will assess the infant or young child's growth and development and help identify problems early. Height, weight, and other important information is recorded and considered. Hearing, vision, and other tests will be a part of some visits. Such preventive care is important for raising healthy children.

Information Return to top

Well-child visits are also key times for communication. Expect to be given information about normal development, nutrition, sleep, safety, infectious diseases that are "going around," and other important topics for parents.

Make the most of these visits by writing down your most important questions and concerns to bring with you.

Special attention is paid to whether the infant has met the normal developmental milestones. The height, weight and head circumference is recorded on a graph, which the physician keeps with the infant's chart. You also can keep your own graphs of the height, weight, and head circumference. This can be a great springboard for discussion. Ask your doctor about the BMI curve, which is the most important curve for identifying and preventing obesity.

There are several schedules for routine well-child visits. One schedule, recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is given below.

PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE SCHEDULE

A visit with a pediatrician before the baby is born is important for first-time parents, those with high-risk pregnancies, and any other parent who wishes to discuss common issues such as feeding, circumcision, and general questions.

After the baby is born, the next visit should be 2-3 days after bringing the baby home (for breast-fed babies) or when the baby is 2-4 days old (for all babies discharged from a hospital before 2 days old).

Thereafter, visits should occur at the following points:

By 1 month
2 months
4 months
6 months
9 months
1 year
15 months
18 months
2 years
3 years
4 years
5 years
6 years
8 years
10 years
Each year after that until age 21

Of course, visits and phone calls to a health care provider should be made any time a baby or child seems ill or whenever the parent is concerned about a baby's health or development.

RELATED TOPICS

Physical examination:

Immunizations:

Nutrition:

Growth and development:

Preparing a child for an office visit is much like test and procedure preparation. See:

Update Date: 10/29/2003

Updated by: Alan Greene, M.D., F.A.A.P., Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine; Lucile Packard Children's Hospital; Chief Medical Officer, A.D.A.M., Inc.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2002 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.