Child Checkup Schedule: When Each Visit Is Due
A simple way to track your child's visits, school forms and records.
This article is general wellness information, not medical advice, and is not a diagnosis or treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified professional before making individual health decisions. Read our full disclosure policy.
Babies and toddlers have many checkups in the first 30 months. After age 3, most children go once a year. The visits are easy to lose track of, and school or camp forms tend to appear with a short deadline. Here is a way to stay ahead.
Key takeaways
- Babies are seen often. From about age 3, a yearly visit is the usual rhythm.
- Book the next visit before you leave the current one.
- Keep a copy of your child's immunization record where you can find it fast.
What is the usual schedule?
The American Academy of Pediatrics publishes a recommended schedule, called the Bright Futures periodicity schedule. A common outline looks like this:
- Newborn period: a first visit at 3 to 5 days old.
- First year: visits at about 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months.
- Second year: visits at about 15 and 18 months, then 24 months.
- Age 2 and a half: a visit at about 30 months.
- From age 3: one visit each year through the teen years.
Your child's doctor may add visits, so follow their advice. Check the current schedule on the AAP site.
What happens at a visit?
Visits differ by age, but they usually include:
- Growth checks: height and weight, plotted on a chart over time.
- Development questions: how your child talks, plays, moves and learns.
- Screenings: such as vision and hearing, when they are due.
- Vaccines: given when the schedule says they are due.
- Your questions: time to raise sleep, eating or behavior worries.
How do I keep track?
- Write down the next date. Before you leave, book the next visit. Slots fill up before school starts in the fall and in late summer.
- Set two reminders. Set one 30 days before and one 7 days before.
- Ask for the record. Request a copy of the immunization record after each visit that includes a vaccine. Keep a photo on your phone.
- Check the school list early. Required vaccines and forms differ by state and school. Look at your state health department or the school's page for the list.
- Bring the forms. If a camp, sport, or school form needs a signature, hand it over at the visit rather than as a separate trip.
- Write questions down. Sleep, eating, behavior, and screens are common ones. Put them in a note on your phone through the month.
Will insurance cover it?
Many health plans cover recommended preventive visits for children. Cost rules differ by plan, so check yours. Our health plan comparison shows how to read the details, and the dental and eye benefits article covers other year end deadlines.
Quick action checklist
- [ ] Find the date of your child's last checkup.
- [ ] Book the next visit, or call today if none is booked.
- [ ] Take a photo of the immunization record.
- [ ] Look up school or camp form requirements for next year.
- [ ] Add a yearly reminder in Nusafa, 30 days before.
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This is general information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before major changes.
