Routine Child Wellness Check-up

Your child's health care provider will let you know how often your child should come for a pediatric check-up. Your doctor will likely suggest that your baby undergo the first pediatric visit within three to five days after birth. A check-up will need to be done every few weeks in the first year, then every few months. The doctor might recommend more frequent check-ups in some cases. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should be seen at the following ages:

First 12 months:

• Newborn
• 3-5 days after birth
• 1 Month
• 2 Months
• 4 Months
• 6 Months
• 9 Months 
• 12 Months

13th month until the kindergarten year:

• 15 Months
• 18 Months
• 24 Months
• 30 Months
• 3 Years

From the age of 4 to 21, children and adolescents need to have a pediatric visit every year.

A Child Wellness Check-up usually begins with measurements and a well-child check physical exam. The measures will show you your baby's growth curve. It also allows you to determine how much your child is growing and compare it to other children of the same age.

Your doctor will check the following:

• Eyes
• Skin.
• Heart and lungs
• Hips and legs mobility
• Soft spots (fontanels) on your baby's head. 
• Your baby's vaccines (immunization record)
• Check for fluid or infection in your baby's ears. 
• Your baby's response to various sounds like your voice.
• The roof of your baby's mouth for an opening (cleft palate). The doctor may find signs of oral thrush in your baby's mouth, a simple yeast infection that they can treat easily. In addition, your doctor may ask you if your baby seems to be drooling or chewing more than usual as they get older. These are often the first signs of teething.
• The doctor might move your baby's legs to check for dislocation or other problems with the hip joints.
• The podiatrist will also check the genitalia for tenderness, lumps, or signs of infection. In circumcision, the doctor will check whether the penis has healed. They will also check both testes if it has descended into the scrotum.