Pediatric Well Visits

Getting your baby to his/her well visits is one of the most important jobs you have as a parent.  Well visits keep baby healthy through medical exams and screenings for issues.  Routine screening for delays allows for quick interventions that help baby get back on track.

Once your child reaches age 3, he/she will need a visit each year.  However, babies need to go often in the first 2 years.  Here is a list of when baby needs to get checked up:

You may be asked to fill out a form about your child’s development.  This is a good way for you to see how baby is growing for his/her age.

Baby’s provider will come in and talk to you about how things are going for baby and your family.  If you have any concerns about your child, this is a good time to bring them up. The provider can address your questions.

Baby’s provider will then conduct a physical exam of your child’s body.  Usually, you will be asked to take baby’s clothes off.  This allows the provider to examine baby’s skin and genitals. The provider will listen to baby’s heart and lungs, look in baby’s ears, and attempt to look in baby’s nose and mouth.

For older children, the provider may observe your child crawling, standing, or walking. This is another way a provider looks at baby’s developmental progress.

Starting at baby’s 2-month visit, your child will start vaccines (shots) that protect them from serious diseases. It is very important for baby to get every shot that the provider recommends in order to keep your child safe.

It may seem like your child is getting a lot of shots, but some of them come in combinations. This means that with one shot, baby gets protection from more than one disease!

Most school systems require kids to have all of the recommended shots before they start kindergarten. This not only protects other kids at school from diseases, it gives your child extra protection as well.

The first step is to set the appointment. Providers get busy, especially in the winter and summer months, so make sure to set baby’s visits well ahead of time!

Another way to prepare is to keep a running list of questions you have for the provider. Write them down so you can remember them while you are there.