The Importance of Well-Child Visits: What To Expect at Each Stage

As a parent, you want to ensure your little one is healthy at all times. That's why it's essential to find a reliable pediatrician who can provide professional and assessable wellness visits. When you need well-child visits in San Ramon & Pleasanton, CA, the friendly medical staff at TRI-Valley Pediatrics can help.

What Is a Wellness Visit?

From the time your baby is born through their teens, they need regular health screenings. These wellness exams monitor the ongoing physical, cognitive, and speech development of your child. Children should reach certain milestones at various ages. By keeping up with your regularly scheduled visits with your local pediatrician, you can ensure your child is on a healthy development track. If not, these screenings provide the insight needed for timely intervention.

What Happens at Each Stage?

Well child visits in San Ramon, CA & Pleasanton, CA, should begin a few days after birth. By the time your baby is 3 to 5 days old, they should have already seen the pediatrician for the first time. The doctor will check the baby's body and measure their length and weight. The medical team can answer any questions parents may have about lactation, feeding, and overall care. Babies can grow quickly,  which is why newborns should visit their local pediatrician about six times within the first year if not more. 

You should bring babies in at the 1-month, 2-month, 4-month, 6-month, 9-month, and 12-month stages of life. By the time a child is two months old, they will receive ongoing immunizations ranging from rotavirus to MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella). Children should receive at least one Covid-19 vaccination by the time they reach six months.

By the time your child is 12 months old, they will have said their first word and should have already been babbling. So this is the perfect time for doctors to evaluate if speech and crawling patterns are where they should be. Language development and motor skills will be further monitored when a child is 15 months old. By the time they're 18 months old, the doctor will review how they interact socially and what their overall behavior is like.

During these visits, your doctor continues to screen your child's height and weight. They'll check vital signs such as blood pressure, vision, hearing, and heart rate. Your pediatrician will also test your child's reflexes.

When you need well-child visits in San Ramon & Pleasanton, CA, call our Pleasanton office at (925) 460-8444 or the San Ramon office at (925) 380-6230. The medical staff at TRI-Valley Pediatrics look forward to assisting you and ensuring your child is developing at a healthy rate.