Typically, we see newborns within one to three days after hospital discharge. The doctor who sees your baby in the hospital will let you know when to come in for that first visit based on your child's needs.

At your first visit, we are primarily focused on your child's weight gain and any signs of jaundice. If everything is normal at that visit, we will ask you to schedule a follow-up visit in about two weeks for your child's first well visit.

The AAP then recommends seeing your baby every two months for the first six months. Then every three months until your child is 18 months old. Finally, you should schedule your last well visit when your child is 24 months.

 The AAP has recently recommended an added well visit at 2½ years, though not all insurance companies are covering this visit.

Well visits are recommended yearly between 3 and 5 years. After 5 years of age, we can determine whether your child requires yearly or twice-yearly checkups.

Tests Performed During Well-Child Visits

The following tests will be performed in accordance with AAP guidelines:

Hemoglobin Levels: This test is done between 9 and 12 months of age. The hemoglobin test is primarily used to detect various types of anemia, a common condition that occurs when the amount of healthy red blood cells in a person's blood is too low.

Lead Levels: This test is also typically done between 9 and 12 months of age depending upon your child's risk factors.

PPD Test: The PPD is a skin test to check whether your child has been exposed to tuberculosis (TB). We will only conduct this test if your child has specific risk factors

Developmental Delay Testing: The AAP recommends that all children be screened for developmental delays and disabilities at 9 months, 18 months and 24 or 30 months. Developmental screening is a short test to tell if your child is learning basic skills when they should, or whether there are delays. During these tests we are looking for signs of autism, intellectual disability or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder among others.

This test is important because many children with developmental delays are not being identified as early as possible. As a result, these children must wait to get the help they need to do well in school and socially,

Urinalysis: We conduct urinalysis between the ages of 4 and 5 years, to look for abnormalities that may reflect an underlying kidney problem.

Hearing and Vision Tests: These tests are conducted between the ages of 4 and 5.