A well-child visit is a checkup when your child is not sick. We follow the American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures schedule: about a dozen visits before the third birthday, then one a year through age 21. Each one checks growth and development, brings vaccines up to date, and gives you time to ask the questions that do not fit into a sick visit.
Find your child’s next checkup
Enter your child’s date of birth to see which well visit comes next and what it covers. The date stays on your device: nothing is sent or saved.
Enter a date to see the next checkup, from the schedule below.
Visit ages follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Bright Futures schedule (updated February 2025). This is a guide: we confirm the right time when you call to book.
The schedule at a glance
| Age | What stands out |
|---|---|
| 3 to 5 days | Weight, feeding and jaundice. See your newborn’s first visit |
| 1 month | Growth, feeding, and how the parents are sleeping and feeling |
| 2, 4 and 6 months | The main infant vaccine series. Head control, rolling, and solids around 6 months |
| 9 months | First developmental screening. Safety as your baby starts to move |
| 12 months | Checks for anemia and lead exposure. Measles, chickenpox and hepatitis A vaccines |
| 15 and 18 months | Walking, first words, and an autism screening at 18 months |
| 2 years and 30 months | A second autism screening at 2, a developmental screening at 30 months |
| 3 years | Yearly blood pressure and vision checks begin |
| 4 to 6 years | School-entry vaccine boosters, vision and hearing, kindergarten forms |
| 7 to 10 years | Growth, sleep, school and activity. One cholesterol check between 9 and 11 |
| 11 to 12 years | Tdap, HPV and meningococcal vaccines. Yearly mood screening and time alone with the provider begin |
| 13 to 18 years | Meningococcal booster at 16. Sports forms, driving, sleep and mental health |
| 18 to 21 years | A second cholesterol check, and planning the move to adult care |
What happens at every visit
- Measurements: weight, length or height, head size until age 2, and body mass index from 2
- A full physical exam
- Development and behavior: questions for you, and later for your child, about milestones, sleep, eating, school and feelings
- Any vaccines that are due, with time to talk them through first
- Screenings for the age: hearing, vision, blood tests or questionnaires
- Your questions. Bring a list. This is what the visit is for
Why go when your child is well
Some of the most important things we look for do not cause symptoms early on. A hearing loss, a speech delay, a curve in the spine, high blood pressure or a slide off a growth curve can be quiet for a long time. Picked up at a checkup, most are simpler to help.
Seeing the same provider over the years matters too. When the person who has measured your child since infancy sees them on a sick day, they know what normal looks like for your child. That is why well visits are booked with your own provider by default. Our well-child care page explains how we run them.
What a well visit costs
Most insurance plans cover well-child visits on the Bright Futures schedule with no copay, as preventive care. If you raise a new problem during the visit, such as an ear infection or a rash that needs treatment, part of the visit may be billed as a separate sick visit. We will tell you when that is likely. Insurance and billing has the details.
A yearly well visit also covers the sports physical form that Oregon high school sports require every two years, so there is rarely any need for a separate appointment.
Oregon school vaccine deadline
Oregon schools and child care programs need an up-to-date vaccine record for every child. Children without the required vaccines or an exemption on file are kept home from school on School Exclusion Day, the third Wednesday in February. If you are unsure where your child stands, ask at any visit and we will print their record.
Missed a few?
It happens, especially after a move. There is no need to start over. Call (541) 555-0148 and we will book a checkup and work out a catch-up plan for any vaccines.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Bright Futures recommendations for preventive pediatric health care
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Child and adolescent immunization schedule
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Well-child care: a check-up for success
- Oregon Health Authority: School and child care immunization requirements
