When To Schedule a Well-Child Visit

How often should your child be turning to us for well-child visits?

Our Sacramento, CA, pediatricians defer to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and their recommended schedule for well-child visits for all children under 18 years old. While you can always look up the information on the website, we also want to provide our patients with an easy way to find this information while checking out our blog. Here’s what you should know about your child’s wellness visits.

When Is My Child’s First Well-child Visit?

You will most likely schedule your child’s first well-child visit with our Sacramento, CA, practice before your child is even born. That’s because you’ll want to bring them in about 3-5 days after birth for their first appointment. This first appointment is essential as it helps us establish rapport with you and your newborn. It also allows us to perform a baseline assessment of your baby’s health to better track their health and development.

How Often Does My Child Need To Come In for Well-child Visits?

For the first three years of your child’s life, they will regularly visit our office for well-child visits. Just as you have to see a doctor once a year for preventive care, screenings and more, your child can also benefit from these same preventive measures. The AAP’s well-child schedule is as follows,

• 3-5 days old
• One month
• Two months
• Four months
• Six months
• Nine months
• 12 months
• 15 months
• 18 months
• 24 months (2 years)
• 2 ½ years
• Three years old

After three years, your child will only need to come in once a year for well-child visits. We can work with your schedule to find a time that works best for you.

Why Does My Child Need a Well-child Visit?

Every child needs to visit their pediatrician regularly to protect against disease, injury and more. The benefits of well-child visits include,

• Preventing disease and illness through immunizations, proper hygiene
• Tracking your child’s growth and development to spot developmental delays early on
• Providing recommendations on everything from exercise and nutrition to healthy sleep habits
• Establishing a strong, dependable rapport with a physician or team of doctors who will care for your child’s mental, physical and emotional wellbeing throughout their childhood

If it’s time to schedule your child’s next well-child visit with our Sacramento, CA, pediatricians, all you have to do is call Timberlake Pediatrics at (916) 688-5040. Our front desk would be happy to schedule an upcoming appointment for your little one.