Children's Preventive Health

A recent CDC report indicates that millions of infants, children, and adolescents in the U.S. did not receive selected clinical preventive services. Increased use of preventive services could improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents and promote healthy lifestyles that will enable them to achieve their full potential. Read all about clinical preventive services for children.

Get Physical Exams On Time
Children need regular checkups. Talk to your child's doctor about when checkups are needed. Doctors commonly recommend checkups every year for children 3 years and older. For children under 3 years old, more frequent checkups are needed. The doctor or nurse will check to make sure your child is healthy and developing on schedule.

Get Your Child's Vaccines on Schedule
Check with your child's doctor to find out which vaccines your child needs.

Get Your Child’s Blood Pressure Checked
If your child is over 3 years old, have a doctor measure your child’s blood pressure during regular checkups.

Follow Development with Monitoring and Screening
Watch your child’s development and talk with your child’s doctor at every check-up about how your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves. Ask your child’s doctor about developmental screening when your child is 9, 18, and either 24 or 30 months, and autism screening at 18 and either 24 or 30 months or whenever there is a concern.

Get Your Child a Seasonal Flu Vaccine
Once your child is 6 months old, your son or daughter needs a flu shot every year. Your child’s doctor can tell you if he or she needs one or two doses this year.

Check on Your Child's Hearing
If your baby did not pass the newborn hearing screening or if you have concerns about your child’s hearing, ask your child’s doctor about a full hearing test to see if there is a hearing loss.

Get Your Child's Vision Checked
Have your child's vision checked, starting by age 3.

Take Care of Your Child's Teeth
Talk to a doctor about fluoride and finding a dentist, starting at age 6 months.

Get Screened for Obesity
Talk to your child's doctor to make sure he or she is at a healthy weight.

Talk to Your Doctor About Skin Cancer
If your son or daughter is over 10 years old and has fair (pale) skin, talk to the doctor about how to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Get Your Child Tested for Lead Exposure
There are usually no signs or symptoms of lead poisoning. A lead test is the only way to know for sure if your child has lead poisoning. Talk with your child’s doctor about a simple blood lead test. Especially children under 6 years of age living in older housing (built before 1978), and according to state or local requirements.

Get Tobacco Screening and Education
Ask your school-aged or adolescent child's doctor to screen your child for tobacco use. Ask your child's doctor to provide education or brief counseling to help prevent tobacco use.

Get Screened for Depression
Is your child over 12 years old? Ask your child's doctor to screen him or her for depression, even if you don't see signs of a problem.

Get Tested for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphillis
If your son or daughter is sexually active, ask the doctor if he or she should get tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis. Ask the doctor about prevention counseling.

Get Tested for HIV
All teens at least 15 years old need to get tested for HIV at least once.

Choose the Right Birth Control
If you are interested in birth control for your daughter, talk to her doctor about her options.

To locate a Family Physician close to you, call our 24-hour help line: 1.800.424.DOCS