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Toddler Years

The 18-Month Well Baby Check-up

	The 18-Month Well-Baby Check-Up It’s back to the doctor. Here’s what to expect. Well Child Check-ups & Immunizations. Toddlers generally go for well-child check-ups at 18 months, and then again at 2 years. Your toddler's doctor will continue to follow your toddler's growth and development, discuss with you his eating and sleeping habits, and answer any questions you might have. If your child has received all his immunizations on schedule, then the 18-month visit will mark the last check-up at which he'll need shots for a couple of years (the next shots commonly referred to as kindergarten shots are given at 4 to 6 years of age). If you have questions about how your child is doing, don't hesitate to ask your pediatrician during his well-child visits. Unless your child has a specific need for earlier follow-up, she will start to see the doctor once a year once she turns two. Your child's doctor will continue to follow his height and weight on a growth chart at each well-child check-up to make sure that he is following an expected pattern of growth. Be aware that a child's rate of growth tends to slow down in the second year of life. Don’t obsess about what percentile your child height and weight lands in, and definitely try to refrain from bragging when they are off the charts—although, these are the things the mommy years are made of! THE DOCTOR WILL... weigh and measure your child to make sure she's growing at a healthy rate. give your toddler another round of immunizations (if she didn't get vaccines for DPT or DTaP, polio, or chicken pox at her 12-month checkup, she'll get immunized for them now). address any health concerns that he notices. (Ear infections, colds, and the flu are common in toddlers, especially if they attend daycare or preschool, where they're exposed to many children.) answer any questions you may have about toilet training or discipline. give some insight into your toddler's development, temperament, and behavior. - look at your child's eyesight. - look at your child's hearing.