Well-baby visits are designed to track your child's health and development, detect potential health issues early, and stay updated with immunization schedules. These appointments also offer a platform for you to voice your questions or concerns, making them just as valuable for you.

Well-baby visits aren't legally required, they are highly recommended by healthcare professionals. Skipping these visits could lead to missed vital health or developmental issues and delay necessary medical treatment. Proactive care, rather than reactive care, is important! Most insurance plans cover well-baby visits under preventive care benefits. However, check with your insurance provider for specifics of your coverage.

Generally, these visits include measuring your baby's height, weight, and head circumference, conducting a physical examination, assessing the baby's cognitive, emotional, and social development, and discussing feeding, sleeping patterns, and general care. Throughout baby’s first year, a typical cadence of well checks looks like:

Well checks sometimes include vaccination, which has its own schedule by the Centers for Disease Control in the U.S. See the schedule here.