Family Life
AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits
Parents know who they should go to when their child is sick. But pediatrician visits are just as important for healthy children.
The Bright Futures /American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed a set of comprehensive health guidelines for well-child care, known as the " periodicity schedule ." It is a schedule of screenings and assessments recommended at each well-child visit from infancy through adolescence.
Schedule of well-child visits
- The first week visit (3 to 5 days old)
- 1 month old
- 2 months old
- 4 months old
- 6 months old
- 9 months old
- 12 months old
- 15 months old
- 18 months old
- 2 years old (24 months)
- 2 ½ years old (30 months)
- 3 years old
- 4 years old
- 5 years old
- 6 years old
- 7 years old
- 8 years old
- 9 years old
- 10 years old
- 11 years old
- 12 years old
- 13 years old
- 14 years old
- 15 years old
- 16 years old
- 17 years old
- 18 years old
- 19 years old
- 20 years old
- 21 years old
The benefits of well-child visits
Prevention . Your child gets scheduled immunizations to prevent illness. You also can ask your pediatrician about nutrition and safety in the home and at school.
Tracking growth & development . See how much your child has grown in the time since your last visit, and talk with your doctor about your child's development. You can discuss your child's milestones, social behaviors and learning.
Raising any concerns . Make a list of topics you want to talk about with your child's pediatrician such as development, behavior, sleep, eating or getting along with other family members. Bring your top three to five questions or concerns with you to talk with your pediatrician at the start of the visit.
Team approach . Regular visits create strong, trustworthy relationships among pediatrician, parent and child. The AAP recommends well-child visits as a way for pediatricians and parents to serve the needs of children. This team approach helps develop optimal physical, mental and social health of a child.
More information
Back to School, Back to Doctor
Recommended Immunization Schedules
Milestones Matter: 10 to Watch for by Age 5
Your Child's Checkups
- Bright Futures/AAP Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care (periodicity schedule)
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U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
Paving the Road to Good Health Strategies for Increasing Medicaid Adolescent Well-Care Visits
Guidance for well-care visits for adolescents, why adolescent health is important, and strategies and resources for states to promote adolescent health.
Download the Guidance Document
Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Issue Date: February 01, 2014
DISCLAIMER: The contents of this database lack the force and effect of law, except as authorized by law (including Medicare Advantage Rate Announcements and Advance Notices) or as specifically incorporated into a contract. The Department may not cite, use, or rely on any guidance that is not posted on the guidance repository, except to establish historical facts.
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VIDEO
COMMENTS
Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits: Assesses members 3–21 years of age who received one or more well-care visit with a primary care practitioner or an OB/GYN practitioner during the measurement year. Why It Matters?
Adolescents face a variety of health risks and health problems including unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, substance use disorders, and depression, among others. The rate of preventive health care visits for HFP adolescents rose more than ten percent in 2011 compared to 2010.
This guide will: Provide strategies for states and their managed care contractors to increase the rate of adolescent well-care visits and strengthen the provider-adolescent relationship. Highlight state and program models to increase and improve adolescent well-care visits.
Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits (WCV) (replaces AWC and W34, now also includes ages 7-11) Assesses children, adolescents, and young adults 3-21 years of age who had at least one comprehensive well-care visit with a primary care practitioner or an OB/GYN practitioner during the measurement year. Age range CPT codes (new patients) CPT codes
Defining a Well-Care Visit for Adolescents. a period of remarkable transition and transformation. physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially. Annual well-care visits with a trusted physician are important to ensure the adolescent is in t. A well-care visit includes:
Well-care visits: What teens and parents can expect. From ages 13 to 17, we recommend a well-care visit every year. Well-care visit questionnaire. When you arrive for your appointment, you'll fill out a questionnaire about your health and safety. This helps your doctor know about any issues or concerns you may want to talk about during your visit.
Improving the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents: guidance on scheduled child and adolescent well-care visits. Geneva: World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2023. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. Cataloguing-in-Publication (CIP) data. CIP data are available at https://iris.who.int/.
The Bright Futures /American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed a set of comprehensive health guidelines for well-child care, known as the " periodicity schedule." It is a schedule of screenings and assessments recommended at each well-child visit from infancy through adolescence.
Schedule the physical exam and vaccinations at another time. Schedule the required number of visits ahead of time, taking into account make-up visits and rescheduling. Allow two weeks for makeup visits before a child turns 15 months or 30 months. Turn a sick visit into a well-care visit.
Guidance for well-care visits for adolescents, why adolescent health is important, and strategies and resources for states to promote adolescent health. Download the Guidance Document. Final. Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Issue Date: February 01, 2014.