Well Child Visit
Routine Pediatric Exams
Well-child visits are routine pediatric exams that focus on assessing your child’s overall health and development. They also provide opportunities for parents to learn more about pediatric health topics or to ask questions.
The Children’s Clinic follows the American Academy of Pediatrics’s well-child visits schedule:
- 1st week (usually 2-3 days after hospital discharge)
- 2nd week
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 1 year
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 2 years
- 30 months (2.5 years)
- 3 years
Once your child comes in for their three-year well-child check, they can begin an annual schedule for well-child exams, just being seen once a year instead of the more frequent schedule used to check development and growth from birth to three years of age.
During well-child visits, your pediatrician charts your child’s growth and development, including those details in their medical record. If there are any signs of developmental delays, you learn if additional screenings or resources are necessary.
Well-child visits are also the time when your child receives their vaccines. Staying up-to-date on immunizations is essential for protecting against infectious diseases. Schools, daycare, or summer camps often require vaccination records.
Well-child visits are the foundation of good pediatric care and likely make up most of your time spent at the Children’s Clinic, with offices on the West End and downtown Billings, Montana.
While well care may not seem as pressing or important as care when your child is sick, these visits are critical for both parents and children. You should never overlook them as you manage your busy schedule. Requesting a well-child visit takes just moments online or over the phone, so don’t delay.
Well Child Visit Q&A
To schedule a well-child exam, call the Children’s Clinic today to schedule an appointment. Online booking requests are also an option and take just moments to complete.
What kinds of questions can I ask during well-child visits?
The team at the Children’s Clinic encourages parents and caregivers to ask any questions regarding pediatric health and development. Nothing is off-limits, and parents should never feel as though they are asking too many questions.
Some of the topics you might broach during well-child visits include:
- Language development
- Discipline
- Behavioral challenges
- Childproofing and home safety
- Safe practice and play for youth athletics
- Puberty
- Stress management
- Emotional health concerns
That is far from a comprehensive list. Parents and children are always welcome to ask questions or express concerns. If a question arises outside of an office visit, feel free to contact the office to leave a message for your child’s pediatrician.
Why see a provider if my child isn’t sick?
Far too many parents wait to bring their child to see the pediatric provider until an illness or injury arises. This approach fails to take advantage of all that preventive health has to offer to ensure your child is happy, healthy, and thriving.
Well-child visits allow your child’s provider to track their health and development and compare important markers to other children of the same age and sex. That enables your child’s care team to identify areas of concern and take steps to get additional screenings and treatment as needed.
During these visits, your child’s provider can give parental support on managing behavior and how to implement and maintain age-appropriate discipline strategies. You can also learn more about your child’s sleep and nutritional needs.