What happens during a Pediatric Well Child Exam?
During a well-child visit, your child’s pediatrician will ask you questions about your child’s health and perform a thorough physical exam. This typically includes:
- Measuring and weighing your child.
- Checking their heart rate and oxygen levels.
- Taking their blood pressure.
- Listening to their lungs.
- Pressing on their stomach to feel the organs.
- Moving their arms and legs.
- Examining their eyes, ears and throat.
|
American Academy of Pediatrics |
WHO recommendation |
|
Age |
Age |
|
Newborn first week |
1st and 2nd week |
|
2-4 weeks |
6 weeks |
|
2 months |
10 weeks |
|
4 months |
14 weeks |
|
6 months |
6 months |
|
9 months |
9 months |
|
12 months |
12 months |
|
15 months |
18 months |
|
18 months |
24 months |
|
24 months |
3 years |
|
30 months |
8-9 years once |
|
3 -18 years annual visit |
10-14 years once |
|
15-19 years one visit |
Well-child checks are important for several reasons, and just to name a few:
- Growth monitoring: Tracking height, weight and head circumference helps assess if your child is growing appropriately. Healthcare providers can identify potential health issues early.
- Developmental milestones: Physicians evaluate developmental milestones to ensure children are meeting age-appropriate physical, cognitive and social benchmarks.
- Preventive care: Well-child visits provide an opportunity for vaccinations and screenings, which help prevent serious diseases and promote overall health.
- Early detection: Physical exams can uncover health issues that may not be immediately obvious, such as vision or hearing problems, heart murmurs or other conditions.
- Health education: These visits allow healthcare providers to educate parents on nutrition, physical activity, safety and other aspects of healthy living.