It is important that you not wait for an illness to see a pediatrician and instead schedule regular checkups starting from infancy. This helps the doctor better observe the child’s physical and mental growth, supervise immunizations and counsel you better regarding the child’s nutrition etc.

Speak to your doctor and set up a schedule for regular visits until the child is five years of age.

As vaccines are most effective when administered at the right age you need to carefully follow a schedule. Talk to your pediatrician and obtain the schedule for the same. They range from vaccines given at birth to 6 weeks to 10 weeks to 14 weeks to 10 years to 16 years.

These vaccines offer your child protection against Tuberculosis, Polio, Hepatitis B, Tetanus, Diphtheria, rotavirus, pneumonia, and measles to name a few.

A pediatrician is a medical doctor who specializes in the care of children. Pediatricians have undergone special training in the health and illnesses of infants, teens and young adults, and the majority of pediatricians are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics after passing a comprehensive exam.

Pediatricians provide preventive health care for children in good health and medical care for children who are acutely or chronically ill. They also provide parents with support and advice with issues such as growth and development, safety and prevention, nutrition, and emotional wellness to foster a lifetime of good health.

 Your child should not only see the pediatrician for an illness. It is also important to schedule well-child-care exams regularly, beginning in infancy. Also called well-care visits or checkups, these routine examinations provide the best opportunity for the doctor to observe the progress of your child’s physical and mental growth and development; to counsel and teach parents; to detect problems through screening tests; to provide immunizations, and to get to know one another. Well-care visits are strongly recommended as part of preventive pediatric care.

Well-child visits are also a good time for parents to raise questions and concerns about a child’s development, behavior, nutrition, safety and overall well-being.

Peninsula Pediatric Medical Group recommends this schedule for routine well-care visits:

• 3 to 5 days
• 1 month
• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 12 months
• 15 months
• 18 months
• 2 years
• 2 1/2 years
• 3 years
• 4 years
• 5 years
• And every year thereafter for an annual health supervision visit that includes a physical exam as well as a developmental, behavioral, and learning assessment.