Understanding your child’s well-care visit
What is a well-care visit?
Just like it’s important to take your child to the doctor when they aren’t feeling well it is also important to keep up on routine well-care visits. Well-care visit help create a comfortable relationship between you, your child, and their provider, offer time to discuss health concerns before they become serious, and help trace growth and development milestones.
Well-care, or often called well-baby and well-child visits, are routine visits to your child's healthcare provider for the following:
- Physical exam
- Immunization updates
- Tracking growth and development milestones
- 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 share guidance on other issues, such as:
- Behavioral problems
- Learning problems
- Emotional problems
- Family problems
- Socialization problems
- Puberty and concerns about the teen 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
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 12 months
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 24 months
- 30 months
- 3 years
- 4 years
- 5 years
- Each year, between ages 6 and 21
If you’re ready to schedule a well-care visit for you or your child, contact 800.LAKELAND (525.3526) or request an appointment, here.