What Is A Well-Child Visit?

Routine checkups with your pediatrician are paramount for kids of all ages. 

You just brought your baby home from the hospital, but now what? Of course, you want to keep your little bundle of joy healthy. Find out how you can do just that by scheduling your child’s first well visit with our Juneau, AK, pediatric providers. Find out more about well visits and what makes them so important for your child’s health.

What is a well-child visit? 

A well-child visit is a necessary doctor’s visit that focuses on your child’s health and overall well-being. Since your child is constantly growing and developing, our pediatric providers want to ensure that everything is developing as it should and that your child is healthy. A physical examination is a big part of these well-child visits because it allows us to examine the body as a whole to make sure everything is functioning as it should.

Why should my child have a well-child visit? 

Childhood is a time of fast and sudden growth and development. Therefore, it’s important to know that your child is hitting those developmental milestones and that they are healthy. Our pediatric providers have the tools and expertise to pinpoint health problems as soon as possible when they can easily be treated.

Furthermore, there are times that a well-child visit can actually prevent health problems from arising through simple measures such as educating parents on nutritional needs, healthy habits, exercise, and more.

How often should my child visit their pediatrician? 

Once your little one is born their first well-child visit should occur within the first week of bringing your newborn home. After the first visit, we will recommend that your child come back at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 9 months, as well as 1 year, 15 and 18 months, 2 and 2.5 years. Afterward, they should come in for checkups once a year from the age of 3 until they turn 21 years old.

What will happen during my child’s well-child visit? 

During your child’s visit, our Juneau, AK, pediatric providers will perform a thorough physical examination. We will also perform hearing and vision tests and record your child’s height, weight, and vitals. We will also administer any necessary immunizations.

During these visits, we will also sit down with the parents and discuss their child’s lifestyle including eating habits, sleeping habits, home life, school life, and diet. We want to make sure your child is getting the proper nutrition and sleep needed to protect against infection and to stay healthy. These visits are also a time for parents to ask any questions they might have about their child’s health. This visit is as much for the adults as it is for their little ones, and we are here to make things a little easier for everyone.

If it’s time to schedule your child’s upcoming well-child visit, or if you have any questions regarding these checkups, then call our pediatric providers in Juneau, AK, today. Let Glacier Pediatrics keep your child healthy throughout the year. To schedule an appointment, call us at (907) 586-1542.