Scheduling regular well-child check-ups with a pediatrician is an excellent way to ensure your child is healthy and reaching key milestones. These visits allow the doctor to monitor your child’s overall health, wellness, growth, and development. Dr. Samuel Divaker and Dr. Rezia Divaker, the experienced providers at Divaker Pediatrics in Mount Dora, FL, offer well visits and other services to help kids enjoy optimal health.
Well Visits and Check-ups
Well visits are check-ups with a pediatrician to observe kids’ overall health and development. The frequency with which well visits are needed depends on the child’s age. Newborns, babies, and young toddlers should see the doctor every few months, while a well visit is only needed once every year beginning around age three. Our skilled pediatric staff can advise you as to when your child’s next check-up is due.
Many different aspects of health and wellness are checked during a well-child visit, such as height, weight, blood pressure, and heart rate. These check-ups help the doctor monitor health, growth, and development, as well as when your child reaches key milestones, such as beginning to talk or walk. Well visits also allow the pediatrician to take note of developmental delays or concerns, if any, so those can be addressed right away before becoming more serious.
Some key components of child well visits at our pediatric office in Mount Dora, FL, include:
- Measuring height and weight
- Checking blood pressure and heart rate
- Examining eyes, ears, and nose
- Checking lungs and breathing
- Vaccinations and immunizations
- Checking reflexes and musculoskeletal system
Key Milestones
Kids reach several key milestones throughout childhood in a variety of areas, including language and communication, cognitive, movement and physical development, and social/emotional. During well visits, the doctor will check to see which milestones have been reached, as well as alert you to upcoming milestones your child will soon hit. Some key milestones children reach during the first two years include:
- 2 Months: Makes other sounds besides crying and smiles
- 4 Months: Turns head towards the sound of parent’s voice and can hold the head steady without support
- 6 Months: Recognizes familiar people, looks at self in the mirror, and can roll from tummy to back
- 9 Months: Displays different facial expressions (e.g. happy, sad), is shy around strangers, lifts arms to be picked up, and sits without support
- 12 Months: Waves goodbye, plays simple games, puts items in containers, begins walking by holding onto furniture, and understands the word “no”
- 15 Months: Begins saying other words besides mom or dad, copies other kids when playing, shows affection (such as hugging or cuddling), claps when excited, and can take a few steps independently without holding onto anything
- 18 Months: Helps when being dressed (ex., pushing arms through sleeves), begins saying more words, walks without holding on to anything, tries eating with a spoon, can climb on and off furniture independently, and scribbles
- 2 Years: Can point to specific body parts, joins two or more words together when speaking (ex., more water), can kick a ball, walk up stairs, run, successfully eat with a spoon, and notices when others are upset or hurt
Regular well-child check-ups with a pediatrician play an important role in ensuring better overall health, wellness, growth, and development for kids. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Samuel Divaker or Dr. Rezia Divaker for your child’s next well visit by calling Divaker Pediatrics in Mount Dora, FL, at (352) 383-8384.