By: Kristen McElliott, FNP

Pediatric medicine is a field that attracts the silly, the goofy, the child at heart physicians and nurse practitioners who truly love the joy and the challenge of the growing child. From birth through high school—many changes occur in the growth and development of your child. Routine well-child exams are important because they monitor each developmental stage and prevent illnesses that can be avoided.

From day one parents are encouraged to bring their little ones in to the doctor for a checkup. In the first year, a parent can expect to be at the doctor’s office with their child seven times, and those are just well-check visits!

After the first year, the pace slows but the three visits that are required are as important as the first seven. Finally, the visits slow down to once a year, something that should make both the child and parent happy.

We’re here to help all of our new parents through the first year and every year after that.

The recommended pediatric primary care visits are:

• 3-5 days after delivery
• 2-4 weeks
• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 12 months
• 15 months
• 18 months
• 2 years old
• Then annually

Ensuring Overall Health

At Mountain Park we make sure our infants and all children are screened properly to ensure they are as healthy as they can be. During each infant well-check visit we screen our patients for any vision and hearing changes. We check their height, weight and heart. We also monitor if they are anemic—which can be normal at a young age. Our providers make sure the child’s motor skills are developing properly and they are reaching milestones on time, like rolling over or holding their head up. At each visit we also give any required preventative immunizations to protect your child from various diseases. Each visit is also a chance to discuss nutrition and safety.

We encourage our parents to discuss any concerns with their care teams. Whether it’s a developmental question or how to improve your child’s sleep, behavior or eating habits, we are here to help your family adjust to the new baby in your life.

Our team approach, with regular visits, creates a strong, trustworthy relationship between pediatrician, parents and their children. Routine well-child visits help pediatricians and parents serve the needs of their child.