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What Is a Well-Child Visit?

Well-child visits to your child’s doctor help keep your child healthy. At these visits, your child’s doctor may:

• Weigh and measure your child
• Give your child shots to prevent disease
• Test your child for illnesses
• Check your child’s sight, hearing, and teeth
• Discuss safety, eating, and development
• Answer your questions

When to Visit the Doctor

Parents should take their babies for well-child visits at these ages:

• 2 to 4 days
• 1 month
• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 12 months
• 15 months
• 18 months
• 2 years

After your child is 2 years old, schedule a wellchild visit once a year.

Getting Your Child Ready for the Visit

Children are sometimes scared of going to the doctor. But you can prepare your child for a doctor’s visit. Here’s how:

• Tell your child, or show on a toy, what will happen at the doctor’s office.
• Let your child play with medical toys, such as a toy thermometer.
• Be honest if something, such as a shot, will hurt. But talking too much about pain is scary. So keep your talk short. Tell your child it will only hurt for a little while.
• Teach your child to relax by breathing slowly or counting.
• Tell your child you will stay in the doctor’s office the whole time.