It’s easy to know when to take babies and toddlers to the doctor for well-baby and well-child checkups. The schedule is pretty rigid, and we have the need for immunizations to consider too. So at two weeks, two months, six months, etc. we trot off to the doctor’s office for a checkup. After two years old, it’s still easy – once a year visits are the norm and are often covered by insurance. Plus your child is still getting immunizations during these years.- Make sure your child’s long-term health is good
- Detect major health problems early
- Look at overall growth and development
- Encourage positive habits such as exercise, healthy food, and safe habits such as wearing a helmet when bicycling
- Check for missed immunizations or boosters
- Screen for dental, vision, speech, and hearing problems
- Ask if you or your child has any questions or concerns about growth, development, nutrition, sex, substance abuse, etc.
- Cholesterol level
- Blood count
- Urine screening
- Blood sugar level
- Lead screening
- Scoliosis check
- Height, weight, and blood pressure
- Signs of puberty
Another good reason for scheduling regular physicals for your children is so they develop a trusting relationship with their doctor. If your children are generally healthy like mine, they could easily go a year or more without visiting their pediatrician. I want them to know and trust their doctor so if they do ever have health problems or questions, they will feel they can talk to him. In addition, it sets a healthy habit for their lives, and hopefully they will continue to schedule regular physicals as they become adults.
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Does my child still need annual physicals after age five?
Yes — if not every year, then at least every two years. After the early-childhood immunization schedule winds down around age five or six, it’s easy to let regular checkups slip. But annual or bi-annual physicals allow the doctor to monitor long-term health, detect problems early, check growth and development, look for missed immunizations or boosters, and screen for dental, vision, speech, and hearing issues.
What does a doctor actually check during a child’s physical?
A thorough physical typically includes checking cholesterol, blood count, urine, blood sugar, and lead screening, plus a scoliosis check, height, weight, blood pressure, and signs of puberty. The doctor can also address any questions you or your child have about growth, nutrition, development, or sensitive topics like substance abuse.
Why is it important for my child to have an ongoing relationship with their doctor?
Healthy children can go a year or more without needing the doctor, which means they may feel like strangers at a critical moment. Regular checkups build a trusting relationship so that when your child does have a health concern or sensitive question, they feel comfortable talking to their doctor — and that habit of scheduling regular check-ins ideally carries forward into adulthood.
When do children need immunizations again after the early childhood schedule?
Children typically don’t need new immunizations after age five or six until around age 12, when the next round of boosters is recommended. Regular physicals help catch any missed immunizations before that gap becomes a problem, and your doctor can keep your child’s vaccination record current.
