Wellness checkups are a vital part of keeping your kids healthy and happy throughout childhood. However, new parents can feel especially overwhelmed with all there is to know about these checkups. It can seem like newborns are going into the doctor every week at first, and parents may not know how to prepare for the appointment or what to expect when they get there.
Check out the resources below for a typical schedule of wellness child visits in Las Vegas, as well as what to expect at each appointment.
Wellness Child Checkup Schedule
The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued recommendations for preventive pediatric health care. This is the guideline most pediatricians use to dictate how often your child should come in for a checkup. Wellness baby visits happen frequently in their first few weeks and months of life, but then checkups taper back to an annual visit. Refer to the schedule below for more details.
Birth to 1 year:
- Newborn
- 3-5 days or 2-3 days after leaving the hospital
- 2 weeks for a newborn screening visit
- 1 month
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 12 months
1-5 years old:
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 24 months
- 30 months
- 3 years
4-21 years old:
- Annual visit
What to Expect at Each Visit
Most well-child checkups involve a routine exam to ensure your child is healthy and developing properly and at a normal pace. You may be given a questionnaire about your child’s developmental milestones or to screen for exposure to lead or diseases that are a problem overseas.
The exam will usually start with a nurse or medical assistant taking measurements and weighing your child, then taking blood pressure and giving you information about any immunizations that may be required at that age.
After the nurse leaves, you’ll wait in the exam room for the doctor to come and perform a physical exam and give you health education. This is a great time to ask questions or tell your doctor about any concerns you may have about your child’s health.
A typical exam will also include:
- Physical exam from head to toe
- Vision screening
- Hearing screening
- Developmental screening
- Blood pressure screening
- Anemia screening
- Health education
- Urinalysis
- Lead screening
Vaccine Schedule
In addition to the routine visit, children will receive vaccines at certain intervals throughout childhood. Many of the vaccines happen in the first 2 years of life. Here is a schedule of when to plan for vaccines, as well as which vaccines the child should receive at any given age:
- Birth - 1 month: Hepatitis B
- 2 Months: DTap, Hib, PCV, Rotavirus, IPV
- 4 Months: DTaP, Hib, PCV, Rotavirus, IPV
- 6 Months: DTap, Hep B, Hib, PCV, Rotavirus, IPV
- 12 Months: MMR, Hep A, Varicella, Hib, PCV
- 15-18 Months: DTaP
- 2 Years: Hep A
- 4 Years: DTap booster, IPV, Varicella, MMR
- 11 Years: TDaP, MCV, HPV
- 16 Years: MCV booster
Schedule an Appointment
If you’re ready to schedule a wellness child visit in Las Vegas or have any questions about wellness baby visits, contact us at Nevada Pediatric Specialists. We offer excellent resources to get you the help you might need and have years of experience offering high-quality health care to kids of all ages. Get in touch today.