When Should My Child Start Having Annual Wellness Exams?

Just like adults, children past a certain age need an annual wellness exam to check for any existing medical issues and prevent any new problems from developing. Annual exams don’t start for a few years after your child is born, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be seen by a doctor; on the contrary, your baby should be seeing the doctor every few months.

Dr. Amit Reenu Paliwal schedules well-child visits for pediatric patients at Indus Healthcare, with three offices located in Pomona, West Covina, and Montclair, California. He makes sure you’re on track with your child’s health and lets you know when the annual visits should begin.

Well-child visit basics

Every well-child visit is designed to check on your child’s overall health and well-being, as well as administer any necessary shots and track your child’s developmental progress. Right after your baby is born, we’ll be seeing you in our office often. 

Your first postnatal visit should be scheduled for when your child is two to four weeks old. The next visits are at months two, four, and six, then the schedule shifts, and we’ll see you every three months from month six to the two-year mark.

The visits during the first two years of life are laid out to ensure your child gets all of their vaccinations on schedule to prevent serious childhood diseases. At each visit, Dr. Paliwal checks your child carefully, including their reflexes, vision, and hearing, then conducts a quick Q&A with you to learn what developmental milestones your child has reached and listen to any concerns you may have.  

Once your child is three years old, we book their annual wellness exams in the same month each year, if possible, and update their chart in between if you need to bring them in for anything else during the year.   

Worried about your child’s development?

There are always parents who take “developmental milestones” as set-in-stone instead of the guide they’re meant to be. There’s no set age when your child will roll over, sit up, stand, walk, or talk. Don’t let other parents try and turn things into a competition or make you feel anxious about your own child.

If you’re worried about your child, Dr. Paliwal can make sure your concerns are heard and considered, and recommend screenings, if needed, to confirm or rule out any potential issues. By checking in at each annual appointment, you can stay on top of your child’s health and development and feel confident that your little one is developing at their own perfect pace. 

If you’d like your child to have their annual check-ups with Dr. Paliwal, call the location closest to you, or schedule an appointment online today.