Well-Child Care Recommendations

Visit Schedule and Components

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends well-child visits at 1-2 weeks, then at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, and 30 months during infancy and early childhood, followed by annual visits thereafter 1
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests visits at 1-2 weeks of age for initial newborn visit after hospital discharge 1
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends visits at 2, 4, and 6 months during rapid growth period 1
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests visits at 9 and 12 months, spaced at 3-month intervals 1
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reproductive life planning for adolescent females at every visit 2
The American Urological Association recommends testicular examination for quality and position at each visit in males 3
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests hip examination for developmental dysplasia, particularly in infancy 1
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends neurologic examination with emphasis on muscle tone assessment 4

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends developmental surveillance at every well-child visit, with formal standardized screening at specific intervals 4
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests first formal developmental screening at 9 months 4
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends developmental screening plus autism-specific screening at 18 months 4
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests autism-specific screening at 24 months 4
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends developmental screening at 30 months 4
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests final early childhood developmental screening at 48 months 4

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends newborn hearing screening before hospital discharge 5
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests ongoing surveillance at each visit consistent with AAP periodicity schedule 5
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends audiological assessment by 24-30 months for all infants with risk indicators for hearing loss 5
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends one-time vision screening between 3-5 years of age to detect amblyopia, but this is not directly cited, instead, vision screening using age-appropriate methods is recommended at age 8 and beyond 6

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends correcting for gestational age when assessing development and scheduling interventions for premature infants 3
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests higher prevalence of cryptorchidism in premature infants (15-30% vs 1-3% in term infants) 3
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends more frequent audiological assessments for high-risk infants who received ECMO or have CMV infection 5
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests middle-ear status assessment at all visits for high-risk infants; refer for otologic evaluation if effusion persists ≥3 months 5

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends conducting comprehensive well-child assessments rather than only sports physicals 6
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using validated screening tools rather than clinical judgment alone to identify motor delays 4
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends pursuing diagnostic evaluations while concurrently referring to early intervention programs to avoid delaying referrals 4
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests documenting testicular position at every visit to avoid missing acquired cryptorchidism 3

If testicular (cryptorchid) descent is not achieved by 6 months corrected age, the infant should be referred to a pediatric urologic surgeon for evaluation and possible intervention. This recommendation is based on data from The Journal of Urology indicating a higher prevalence of cryptorchidism in premature infants (15–30 % vs. 1–3 % in term infants)【7】.
Strength of evidence: Observational cohort data (Level III).

At each well‑child visit, perform pneumatic otoscopy and/or tympanometry; if a middle‑ear effusion persists for ≥ 3 months, arrange referral for an otologic specialist. This guidance comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on ear health【8】.
Strength of evidence: Expert consensus (Level IV).

Monitor auditory skills and developmental milestones at every well‑child visit, incorporating routine hearing risk assessments. For infants with risk factors (e.g., NICU stay > 48 h, ECMO, congenital CMV), ensure at least one audiologic evaluation by 24–30 months of age. These practices are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics hearing screening protocol【8】.
Strength of evidence: Expert consensus (Level IV).

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) expert consensus recommends six well‑child visits during the first year of life (at 1–2 weeks, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months) to provide comprehensive preventive care, timely immunizations, and developmental surveillance. This recommendation supersedes older research suggesting fewer visits and is supported by recent AAP guideline updates【9】.
Strength of evidence: Expert consensus (Level IV).