# Well-Child Visits: The Checkup Schedule From Birth to Age 3

> When checkups happen from birth to 3, what's checked at each, and how to make the most of the visit.

Stage: baby - Topic: Health - Page: https://www.askcladle.com/guides/baby/well-child-visits-and-checkups

Grounded in: AAP Bright Futures "Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care" (the periodicity schedule), AAP HealthyChildren well-child visit guidance, the AAP 2026 immunization schedule, and CDC newborn screening information. Summarized in Cradle's own words; none of these sources endorse Cradle. General information, not medical advice.

Reviewed: 2026-11

## TLDR

- Checkups at 3-5 days, 1 month, then 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24 and 30 months and 3 years.
- Each one covers growth, an exam, milestones and vaccines, with developmental screens at 9, 18 and 30 months.
- Write your top three questions down. Don't save a worry about feeding, breathing or behavior for the next checkup.

## Before you leave the hospital

- Vitamin K shot, to prevent rare but dangerous bleeding.
- Antibiotic eye ointment, to prevent a serious eye infection.
- Hepatitis B vaccine, first dose, which the AAP recommends within 24 hours of birth.
- Newborn blood spot screen: a few drops from the heel, usually at 24-48 hours, checking for dozens
  of rare but treatable conditions. Some babies need a repeat; the office will call if so.
- Hearing screen, plus a pulse oximetry check (a light sensor on the hand and foot) for critical
  congenital heart disease, done after 24 hours.
- A bilirubin check for jaundice before discharge.
- An RSV antibody shot if your baby is born during or heading into RSV season (roughly fall to
  spring) and the birth parent didn't get the RSV vaccine at least 2 weeks before delivery.

## The checkup schedule

The AAP recommends visits at 3-5 days, by 1 month, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24 and 30 months, and 3
years, then yearly. The first visit is soon after discharge because of weight and jaundice (see the
newborn weight and jaundice guide).

## What happens at each visit

- **Measurements:** weight, length or height, and head size until age 2, plotted on growth charts.
  BMI from age 2.
- **Exam:** heart, hips, eyes, skin, belly, genitals, and the soft spot.
- **Development:** questions about milestones at every visit, with a formal developmental screen at
  9, 18 and 30 months and autism screening at 18 and 24 months (see the milestones guide).
- **Vaccines:** most shots fall at 2, 4, 6, 12-15 and 18 months (see the vaccines guide).
- **Parent wellbeing:** a screen for postpartum depression at the 1, 2, 4 and 6 month visits.
  This is routine and meant to help.
- **Hearing and vision:** risk questions and eye checks at every visit, with a vision screening
  device often used from 12 months and a formal screen by age 3.
- **Blood tests:** a check for anemia around 12 months and lead risk questions from 6 months, with
  a blood lead test at 12 and 24 months for many children (required for Medicaid).
- **Teeth:** fluoride varnish from the first tooth, every 3-6 months, and a dental home by age 1.
- **Talking points:** feeding, sleep, safe sleep, car seats, babyproofing and how you're doing.

## Getting ready

- Write questions down as they come up during the week, and put the top three first.
- Bring the vaccine record, a list of any medicines or vitamins, and notes on feeding, sleep and
  diapers if something worries you. Photos or short videos of odd movements, rashes or breathing
  help a lot.
- Dress the baby in easy-off clothes, and bring a feed and a spare diaper.
- Useful questions: Is growth on track? What should we expect before the next visit? Which shots
  today, and what reactions are normal? When should we start solids, cups, or the dentist?

## Checkups versus sick visits

- A checkup is for prevention and growth. If your child is sick on the day, call; mild colds
  usually don't stop vaccines, but the office may reschedule.
- A sick visit is a separate, shorter visit for a specific problem. Don't save a worry for the next
  checkup if it's affecting feeding, breathing or behavior now.
- If a checkup is missed, book a catch-up; vaccines and screens can be caught up.

## When to check in

Call the pediatrician the same day if:
- A baby under 3 months has a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher (rectal).
- There are fewer wet diapers than expected, poor feeding, or a baby who is hard to wake.
- The office calls about an abnormal newborn screen: follow up the same day.