Healthy Kids

Checkups are an annual ritual for most kids, helping to detect or prevent health problems for the more than 70 million Americans under 20 years old. In 45 minutes or less, doctors provide immunizations against diseases, assessments of physical and emotional development and discussions of good health habits. " It's the best peace of mind you can buy," Dr. Irwin Benuck, a pediatrician at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago and professor of clinical pediatrics at Northwestern University. What medical monitoring do kids need, and when do they need it?  Here's a rundown of recommended health checks from infancy through their teenage years:

INFANTS
Infants need to visit a pediatrician more often than the typical annual check recommended for children. Doctors say they should be seen at two weeks and then at one, two, three, four, six, nine, 12, 15, and 18 months of age. During the first two years, doctors measure the baby's height, weight and head circumference. Typically, they will also listen to the heart and lungs and check the size and location of organs.

Infants also get many immunizations. Newborns should receive the hepatitis B vaccine son after birth and before they leave the hospital; they should get their second dose at one to two months and their final dose around 24 weeks. At two, four and six months and then again by 18 months, they should get their diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DtaP) vaccine. At two months, they start getting their first of four inactivated poliovirus immunizations. At two, four and six months, they should get the rotavirus vaccine to protect them against an infection that can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting, low-grade fever and dehydration. At 12 months, they get their first measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. And at 12 to 15 months, they get their first varicella (chicken pox) vaccine. At two months, babies get their first in a series of pneumoccocal vaccines. And between 12 and 23 months, kids should get two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine (HepA), given at least six months apart. (More information is available at the Web site for the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Doctors also recommend that parents start recording developmental milestones and concerns to discuss them with the pediatrician. "We only get a snapshot of your child [during a visit]," says Texas pediatrician Ari Brown, co-author of "Toddler 411"  (Windsor Peak Press, Aug. 2006).

TODDLERS
Toddlers still need checkups when they turn 2, 3 and 4. After age 2, doctors measure height, weight and blood pressure rather than head circumference. They also conduct a lung, chest and genitalia exam and look at reflexes. And they look for signs of developmental disorders and autism. For more information on warning signs of possible developmental delays, see the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) Web site.

Doctors may also talk to parents about developmental milestones for toddlers. Kids who are 2 and 3 years old, for example, should be able to sort objects by shape and color and obey short commands. Kids who are 3 to 5 years old should be able to ride a tricycle, use safety scissors, help dress and undress themselves and play with other kids. Doctors may also talk to parents about positive parenting at this age, such as reading to kids and letting them help with simple chores.