A well-child visit is the regular check-up that tracks your child’s growth, development and health when they are not sick. These visits are how problems get caught early, how immunisations stay on schedule, and how you build a relationship with a pediatrician who knows your child before something goes wrong.
The well-child visit schedule
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a well-child visit at each of these ages:
- 3 to 5 days old — the first visit after you leave hospital
- 1, 2, 4, 6 and 9 months
- 12, 15, 18, 24 and 30 months
- Once a year from age 3 through 21
That is around a dozen visits before your child turns three. The schedule is front-loaded on purpose: growth, hearing, vision and development change fastest in the first two years, and most immunisations fall in that window.
What happens at a well-child visit
- Growth — height, weight and (for infants) head circumference, plotted on growth charts over time. The pattern matters more than any single measurement.
- Developmental and behavioural screening — milestones for movement, speech, social interaction and learning, including autism screening at the recommended ages.
- Physical examination — heart, lungs, abdomen, eyes, ears, mouth, skin, hips and spine.
- Vision and hearing checks at the recommended ages.
- Immunisations that are due, following the CDC and AAP schedule.
- Your questions — sleep, feeding, behaviour, school, screen time, mood.
How to get the most out of the visit
Write your questions down beforehand. It is the single most useful thing a parent can do — questions reliably evaporate once you are in the room. Bring your child’s immunisation record if they have been seen elsewhere, a list of any medications or supplements, and any forms the school or daycare needs signed. For older children and teenagers, expect some of the visit to happen without a parent in the room; that is deliberate, and it is how adolescents learn to speak for themselves about their own health.
Is a well-child visit the same as a sick visit or a sports physical?
No. A sick visit addresses one problem — a fever, an earache, a rash — and is usually same-day. A sports physical clears your child to play and is recorded on Florida’s EL2 form. A well-child visit is the comprehensive annual review of your child’s whole health.
Most insurance plans cover one well-child visit per year as preventive care at no cost to you, so it is worth using. We can often complete the EL2 sports physical during the same appointment, which saves you a separate trip.
Booking a well-child visit in MetroWest, Orlando
For illness between check-ups, see fever in children and ear infections. New baby? See newborn care.
Dr. Revati Narahari is a board-certified pediatrician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Primary Care Pediatrics is at 1507 S Hiawassee Rd, Suite 105, Orlando, FL 32835, open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Call (407) 445-9224 to schedule. Many insurance plans let you book directly without a referral.
