The first two years of your child’s life is the most crucial, so make sure you go to the doctor when you’re supposed to or when needed. 

Right after birth, the nurses and doctors will look for healthiness, normal body function, newborn reflexes, skin tone, alertness, and hip stability. They will take measurements and perform a hearing screening to check your child’s hearing. They will also perform a newborn metabolic/hemoglobin screening and give your child an immunization shot. The first check up you need to make comes three to five days after birth.

Three to five days after birth

Your first checkup will be in the week after birth. During this, your doctor will check growth, development and behavior, and do a physical exam of your child. They will also check in with you and make sure everything is going okay on your side with your baby. 

At every checkup after the first one, your doctor will do the standard tests: measurements, developmental surveillance, behavioral assessment, and physical examination. Expect each of these at each checkup. 

Your next section of check ups happen six more times in the first year of your baby’s life:

Well-baby Visits

Well-baby visits are when you take your child to the doctor for a full checkup. The doctor will check to see if your child is healthy and developing normally. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a check up three to five days after birth and then six more times throughout your child’s first year of life. 

• At 1 month: the standard tests, a tuberculosis test, and immunizations
• At 2 months: the standard tests and immunizations--lots of them
• At 4 months: the standard tests, hematocrit or hemoglobin screening, and immunizations
• At 6 months: the standard tests, immunizations, check oral health, may do a lead screening
• At 9 months: the standard tests, developmental screening--more formal, immunizations, check oral health
• At 12 months: the standard tests and may do a lead screening or an oral examination

Your last major section of check ups happens in your child’s second year of life:

Second Year

There are three more check ups that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends in your child’s second year of life. 

• At 15 months: the standard tests and immunizations
• At 18 months: the standard tests, autism screening, immunizations, anemia screening, lead screening, and an oral examination
• At 24 months: the standard tests, immunizations, may do a lead screening, may do a TB test, and may do an oral examination. Doctors could also do a dyslipidemia screening. This tests for signs of a lipid disorder, and it’s done through a blood test. 

Just because your child’s first two years are over, doesn’t mean you should stop watching how they grow and develop. Make sure to continue to take your child to the doctor to make sure they grow up healthy.