Kristin was scrolling through her calendar on January 2nd, trying to organize the year ahead, when she realized: she had no idea when her 3-year-old’s next checkup was supposed to be. “He seems fine,” she thought. “Do we really need to go if nothing’s wrong?”
Three months later, at a checkup she’d almost skipped, the pediatrician detected a significant speech delay. Early intervention made all the difference, but Kristin still wonders: what if she’d waited another year? What if she’d assumed “fine” was actually fine?
Well-child visits aren’t just about vaccines and growth charts, though those matter. They’re about catching developmental delays early, identifying health risks before they become problems, and creating a foundation for lifelong health. And the checkup schedule, which can seem excessive, is actually carefully designed around critical developmental windows.
If “stay on top of my kids’ health” made your 2026 resolution list, here’s your roadmap.
The Well-Child Visit Schedule (Birth Through Age 21)
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children should have well-child checkups at:
Infancy (First Year):
- 3-5 days old
- 1 month
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 12 months
Toddlerhood:
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 24 months (2 years)
- 30 months (2.5 years)
- 36 months (3 years)
Preschool and School Age:
- Annual checkups from ages 4-21
It seems like a lot (and it is), but there’s a reason for this frequency.
Why the Schedule Is Designed This Way
Infancy: Rapid Changes
Babies change more dramatically in their first year than at any other point in human development. They triple their birth weight, develop motor skills, begin communication, and establish feeding and sleep patterns.
According to research published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, frequent early checkups allow providers to:
- Monitor growth patterns (which can indicate feeding issues, metabolic disorders, or other concerns)
- Track developmental milestones (delays are often first identified during routine checkups)
- Administer vaccines on schedule (protecting against serious, preventable diseases)
- Screen for conditions like hip dysplasia, vision problems, and hearing issues
- Support new parents with feeding, sleep, and safety guidance
Missing even one visit during this period can mean missing a critical window for intervention.
Toddlerhood: Developmental Surveillance
Ages 1-3 are when developmental delays in speech, motor skills, social-emotional development, and behavior become apparent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasizes that early identification and intervention for developmental delays dramatically improves outcomes.
At these visits, your pediatrician is:
- Screening for autism spectrum disorder (recommended at 18 and 24 months)
- Assessing speech and language development
- Monitoring gross and fine motor skills
- Evaluating social-emotional development
- Screening for anemia and lead exposure
- Discussing nutrition, safety, and behavior
School Age and Adolescence: Prevention and Anticipatory Guidance
Once kids start school, annual checkups focus on:
- Monitoring growth and development
- Identifying learning difficulties or behavioral concerns
- Screening for vision and hearing problems (which affect school performance)
- Administering age-appropriate vaccines
- Discussing safety, nutrition, mental health, and age-specific concerns
- Screening for risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol
- Providing anticipatory guidance for developmental stages ahead
The Mayo Clinic notes that many chronic health conditions, including obesity, hypertension, and mental health disorders, have their roots in childhood. Regular monitoring allows for early intervention.
What Actually Happens at Well-Child Visits
Growth Assessment: Height, weight, and head circumference (for younger children) plotted on growth charts. Your pediatrician isn’t just checking if your child is “big enough,” they’re looking for consistent growth patterns. Sudden changes (crossing percentile lines dramatically) or plateaus can indicate problems.
Developmental Screening: Age-appropriate assessments of motor skills, language, social-emotional development, and cognitive abilities. These are standardized tools that help identify delays early. “He’ll catch up” is not always true, and waiting can mean missing intervention windows.
Physical Examination: Comprehensive head-to-toe exam checking heart, lungs, abdomen, skin, eyes, ears, genitals, musculoskeletal system. Many conditions (heart murmurs, undescended testicles, scoliosis) are first detected during routine exams.
Immunizations: Vaccines are given according to the CDC’s recommended schedule. These prevent serious, sometimes fatal diseases. Staying on schedule provides optimal protection.
Screenings: Age-appropriate screening for anemia, lead exposure, tuberculosis risk, vision problems, hearing issues, and behavioral/developmental concerns.
Anticipatory Guidance: Discussion of what to expect developmentally in the coming months, safety concerns for your child’s age, nutrition recommendations, sleep guidance, and strategies for behavioral challenges.
The Developmental Milestones Your Pediatrician Is Watching
By 2 Months:
- Begins to smile at people
- Can briefly calm themselves (brings hands to mouth)
- Tries to look at parent
- Coos and makes gurgling sounds
- Follows objects with eyes
- Holds head up when on tummy
By 4 Months:
- Smiles spontaneously
- Likes to play with people
- Copies some movements and facial expressions
- Babbles with expression
- Reaches for toys
- Uses hands and eyes together (sees toy and reaches for it)
By 6 Months:
- Knows familiar faces
- Likes to look at self in mirror
- Responds to sounds by making sounds
- Strings vowels together (“ah,” “eh,” “oh”)
- Responds to own name
- Rolls over in both directions
- Begins to sit without support
By 9 Months:
- May be afraid of strangers
- Has favorite toys
- Understands “no”
- Makes many different sounds
- Copies sounds and gestures
- Stands while holding on
- Can get into sitting position
By 12 Months:
- Shy or nervous with strangers
- Cries when parent leaves
- Has favorite things and people
- Shows fear in some situations
- Hands you a book when wants to hear a story
- Says “mama” and “dada” and exclamations like “uh-oh”
- Tries to say words you say
- Stands alone, may take a few steps
By 18 Months:
- Likes handing things to others as play
- May have temper tantrums
- May be afraid of strangers
- Points to show others something interesting
- Says several single words
- Says and shakes head “no”
- Points to one body part
- Walks alone, may walk up steps
By 2 Years:
- Copies others, especially adults and older children
- Gets excited when with other children
- Shows increasing independence
- Finds things even when hidden under multiple covers
- Sorts shapes and colors
- Completes sentences in familiar books
- Names items in pictures
- Knows names of familiar people and body parts
- Says 2-4 word sentences
- Stands on tiptoe, kicks a ball
By 3 Years:
- Copies adults and friends
- Shows affection for friends without prompting
- Takes turns in games
- Shows concern for crying friend
- Understands “mine,” “his,” “hers”
- Can work toys with buttons, levers, and moving parts
- Plays make-believe
- Follows two or three step instructions
- Uses 5-6 word sentences
- Climbs well, runs easily
These are not comprehensive lists, but they give you an idea of what providers are assessing. Delays in multiple areas or significant delays in one area warrant further evaluation.
What You Should Track Between Visits
Growth Concerns:
- Significant weight loss
- Poor appetite lasting more than a few days
- Failure to gain weight appropriately
- Excessive weight gain
Developmental Concerns:
- Not meeting milestones (your pediatrician will provide specific guidelines)
- Loss of skills previously mastered (regression)
- Significant differences from siblings at the same age (though some variation is normal)
Behavioral or Emotional Concerns:
- Persistent aggressive behavior
- Extreme anxiety or fearfulness
- Difficulty with peer relationships
- Major sleep disturbances
- Significant behavioral changes
Physical Symptoms:
- Recurring infections
- Chronic cough or breathing difficulties
- Persistent rashes or skin problems
- Vision or hearing concerns
- Chronic pain
Don’t wait until the next scheduled visit if you have serious concerns. Call your pediatrician’s office between appointments.
The Vaccinations Your Child Needs
Vaccines save lives. The CDC estimates that routine childhood immunizations prevent approximately 4 million deaths worldwide each year.
Birth-2 Years:
- Hepatitis B (HepB): 3 doses
- Rotavirus (RV): 2-3 doses depending on vaccine brand
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (DTaP): 5 doses
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib): 3-4 doses depending on vaccine brand
- Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13): 4 doses
- Inactivated poliovirus (IPV): 4 doses
- Influenza (flu): Annual starting at 6 months
- Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR): First dose at 12-15 months
- Varicella (chickenpox): First dose at 12-15 months
- Hepatitis A (HepA): 2 doses starting at 12 months
Ages 4-6:
- DTaP booster
- IPV booster
- MMR booster
- Varicella booster
- Annual flu vaccine
Ages 11-12:
- Tdap booster (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)
- HPV vaccine: 2-3 doses (protects against cancers caused by human papillomavirus)
- Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY)
- Annual flu vaccine
Age 16:
- MenACWY booster
- Meningococcal B vaccine (MenB): 2 doses
These schedules are based on decades of research showing optimal timing for protection. Delaying vaccines leaves children vulnerable to serious, preventable diseases.
When to Schedule Your 2026 Visits
For Infants and Toddlers: Schedule the next visit before you leave the current appointment. Pediatric practices fill up quickly, and having appointments pre-scheduled ensures you stay on track.
For School-Age Children: Schedule annual checkups in summer before school starts. Many schools require updated physical exams and immunization records, and summer appointments are easier to schedule around academics.
For Adolescents: Schedule early in the year. Teens need annual checkups too, and these visits become opportunities to discuss sensitive topics (mental health, sexuality, substance use, peer relationships) privately with their provider.
What If You’ve Fallen Behind?
Life happens. Schedules get chaotic. Sometimes you miss appointments. If your child hasn’t had a well-child visit in over a year, call your pediatrician’s office now.
They’ll work with you to:
- Get caught up on vaccines
- Complete age-appropriate screenings
- Assess development
- Address any concerns
Don’t avoid scheduling because you’re embarrassed about falling behind. Pediatricians care about getting kids back on track, not judging parents.
The Bottom Line
Well-child visits are not optional “nice to haves” when your child seems healthy. They’re evidence-based preventive care designed to catch problems early, provide timely interventions, protect against serious diseases, and support optimal development.
The first few years of life are full of rapid changes and critical developmental windows. Regular checkups ensure you’re not missing anything important during this period. As children grow, annual visits provide continuity of care, ongoing monitoring, and age-appropriate guidance.
Your 2026 goal isn’t just “keep my kids healthy.” It’s “actively support their development with evidence-based preventive care.”
Start by pulling out your calendar and scheduling this year’s well-child visits. Get them on the books now, before your year fills up with everything else.
Your future self (and your child’s future health) will thank you.
Ready to schedule your child’s 2026 well-child visits?
Contact MacArthur Pediatrics to book appointments for the year. Let’s make sure your child stays on track with growth, development, and preventive care.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2024). Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care (Bright Futures). https://www.aap.org/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Developmental Milestones. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html
Hagan, J. F., Shaw, J. S., & Duncan, P. M. (Eds.). (2017). Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents (4th ed.). American Academy of Pediatrics.
Mayo Clinic. (2024). Well-child visits: Why they matter. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/well-baby/art-20047793
Lipkin, P. H., & Macias, M. M. (2020). Promoting optimal development: identifying infants and young children with developmental disorders through developmental surveillance and screening. Pediatrics, 145(1), e20193449.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2024). Screening for Developmental Delays. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/
