For many families, the summer months bring a major shift in routines. Even if you’re filling up your calendar with vacations, summer camps and sports, your kid may not have school or activities every day. Luckily, a more flexible schedule means more time to catch up on routine medical appointments, like well-child visits with your child’s primary care provider.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children visit their primary care provider on a routine basis, starting at birth and all the way to adulthood. Depending on your child’s age, these visits might include checking their vital signs, measuring their growth, physical examination and sometimes vaccines. No matter what happens at a well-child check, the goal is always the same: to make sure your child, no matter their age, is developing and healthy.
Here’s what you need to know about well-child checks — and who needs them.
What exactly is a well-child check?
Like adults, kids go to the doctor in two scenarios: sick visits and preventive visits. A well-child appointment is a comprehensive preventive visit where your provider evaluates your child to make sure they’re healthy as they grow. That includes measurements like height, weight and head circumference, but pediatricians also screen kids’ vital signs, vision, hearing and behavioral health.
“All these screenings help us ensure your child is growing appropriately,” says Dr. Hailey Nelson, a pediatrician with Valley Children’s Healthcare in Madera, California. If your provider is concerned about something — say, your child hasn’t been gaining weight or their vision is getting worse — they can recommend interventions. The key, Nelson says, is to catch these issues early, when they’re most treatable.
Well-child checks are also a great time to ask questions about your little one’s health, whether you’re concerned about a behavior or medical symptom. Nelson adds that you can and should schedule an appointment sooner than the well-child check, or call your pediatrician’s office, if you have an urgent need.
What else does a well-child check include?
Because well-child visits are meant to protect your child’s health now and in the future, they often involve vaccines. Most medical practices follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on timelines. Babies and toddlers have shots at most of their well-child visits. After a kid turns 4, they have a break until the pre-teen shots, except for annual flu and COVID-19 shots, which you may or may not do at well-child visits.
Some families opt to follow their own schedules for vaccinations, though not always because of conflicting timetables. Dr. Nina Alfieri, a pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, says many families got behind on routine vaccines during the pandemic due to office closures or hesitance to visit the clinic. That makes now a great time to catch up if you’re behind on any of your child’s vaccines.
Well-child visits are also an important way to get the support you need for healthy habits at home. “Our job as pediatricians is to take care of families, because kids do best when their parents are doing well,” says Alfieri. Most pediatricians offer lactation and feeding support for parents, for example. Your child’s provider can also suggest ways to help your picky kid try new food or to help your fussy toddler sleep through the night. Some pediatricians can even help you find formula if you can’t get yours from the store.
If the issue is outside your pediatrician’s scope — for example, if your child needs a behavioral health expert for anxiety — the provider can refer you to a specialist. Anything that supports your child’s well-being is fair game.
When does my kid need a well-child check?
That depends on your child’s age. Because they’re developing so much, babies and toddlers go to well-child visits more frequently. Alfieri says the visits are usually annual, around your child’s birthday, starting at about 3 years.
Chances are your provider will let you know when they want to see your child again after an appointment, and you can probably schedule the next appointment while you’re at the clinic.
What’s the difference between a physical and a well-child check?
Well-child checks usually include physicals, but physical exams can happen separately, outside of those appointments. Sometimes daycares, schools and camps require physicals. You can ask your pediatrician to fill out those forms at the well-child visit if the timing works out, or you can schedule a separate appointment. Either way, Nelson suggests completing these physicals as early as possible so your provider has time to address potential issues before a child can safely participate.
Any healthcare provider can do a quick physical, but Alfieri suggests maintaining an ongoing relationship with your child’s PCP for well-child checks. Kids can get anxious about going to the doctor, especially for shots, so it can be nice to see a familiar, friendly face. Plus your provider will know your child’s baseline, so they’ll be able to notice when something’s off, whether a measurement, behavior or symptom.
“A pediatrician is a member of your team,” says Nelson. “We’re here to empower you to be the best parent to your child, so you can help keep them happy and healthy.”