Well-child visits: what to bring and ask

A well-child visit is a check-up for a child who is not sick: growth, development, vaccines, and time for your questions. The AAP’s advice for getting the most from one is short. Write your questions down beforehand, pick the 3 to 5 that matter most, and raise them at the start.

The rest is getting out of the door with a list, the right papers and a child wearing something easy to take off.

What these visits cover

The AAP puts it plainly: pediatrician visits are “just as important for healthy children” as for sick ones. Visits follow a published schedule, the Bright Futures/AAP periodicity schedule, which sets out the screenings and assessments recommended at each visit from infancy through adolescence. Your pediatrician’s office will tell you when the next one is due.

According to HealthyChildren.org, a visit usually covers:

• Prevention. Immunizations, and talk about nutrition and safety at home and at school.
• Growth and development. How your child has grown since the last visit, and how they are doing with milestones, social behavior and learning. The periodicity schedule includes developmental screening at selected visits.
• Your concerns. Development, behavior, sleep, eating, and how your child gets along with the rest of the family are all fair topics.

The AAP also describes the visits as a team effort. Seeing the same pediatrician over time builds trust between the doctor, you and your child, and that relationship is part of the care.

What to bring

The AAP’s “Team Up with Your Child’s Doctor” page suggests treating your child’s health story as something you keep together and bring along.

• Your list of questions, with the most important ones marked so they come first.
• A medication list, with the dose and how often your child takes each one, and any recent changes.
• Health history basics: allergies, past conditions, and the names of any other doctors or specialists your child sees.
• Something to take notes with, for the answers.
• Your child’s own records from home, if you keep them, so you can compare with the last visit.

If you would like an interpreter, the AAP suggests telling the office ahead of time so you can talk in the language you know best. If your child needs accommodations, such as a shorter wait or help with medical equipment, calling a day or two before gives the office time to plan.

Snacks, a favorite toy and a spare outfit are not on any AAP list. They are on every parent’s.

Questions families often ask

The AAP’s tip is to keep a notepad going between visits and add questions as they come up, because they never come up in the exam room. Questions families often bring:

• How is my child growing compared with the last visit?
• What are most children doing at this age, and what can we try at home?
• Which vaccines are due today, and what is next?
• We have questions about sleep, eating or behavior. Can we go through them?
• Is there anything about safety at home we can work on for this age?

During the visit, the AAP suggests checking you have understood: ask when something is unclear, then say it back in your own words and ask if you have it right. If you are learning a new medicine or piece of equipment, ask for written instructions or a video you can watch again later. And if something about your family’s situation affects your child’s health, such as childcare, food or housing, the office is a place to say so; the AAP notes social workers can help.

Before you leave, ask for an after-visit summary. The AAP describes it as a record of why you came, any medication changes, new treatments and referrals.

Including the other adults

Often the person at the appointment is not the only one who puts the child to bed. The AAP suggests sharing videos or written instructions for new medicine or equipment with others caring for your child, so a partner, grandparent or sitter knows what to do too.

The same thinking helps before the visit. Ask the other adults what they have noticed, since the grandparent who does Tuesdays may have spotted something you have not. Add their questions to the list. Afterwards, pass on what the doctor said, rather than “it went fine”.

After the visit

The AAP’s after-visit advice is practical:

• Follow up if asked. Check whether your pediatrician wants an update after a set time.
• Book what was suggested. Make sure any referrals or treatments are actually scheduled.
• Keep the summary with your records, so next time you can compare.
• Ask for a second opinion if you still have concerns. The AAP notes this is an option.

Then start the next list. The next visit is already on its way.

Sources

• AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits — HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Team Up with Your Child’s Doctor for the Best Care — HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Preventive Care/Periodicity Schedule — American Academy of Pediatrics

This is educational information from public sources, not a replacement for advice from your child’s healthcare professional.

In Withya, Care keeps feeds, sleep and growth in one record you can open in the exam room.