Healthy Children

All children need to visit a health care provider at scheduled intervals, also known as the periodicity schedule. Healthy children need these visits, as well as children with health problems. Regularly scheduled health visits assure parents that their child is growing and developing normally and provide information to parents about what to expect in their child's development. For developmental information about children birth to two years old, visit the department's Pregnancy and Beyond website.

These visits are often called well-child exams and are important to assure on-going supervision of each child's health. In each well-child exam, the health care provider assesses the child's health and development and provides the parents and child with information and guidance appropriate to the child's age. These exams help the family and child to develop lifelong healthy habits. These exams can also find health or developmental problems early.

Well Child Exams

A complete well-child Healthy Children & Youth (HCY) exam includes the following:

• A comprehensive unclothed physical examination
• A comprehensive health and developmental history including assessment of both physical and mental health development
• Health education (including anticipatory guidance)
• Appropriate immunizations according to age
• Laboratory tests as indicated (appropriate according to age and health history unless medically contraindicated)
• Lead screening according to established guidelines
• Hearing screening
• Vision screening
• Dental screening

Anticipatory guidance helps families understand what to expect at each stage of a child's life. It includes education appropriate to the child and family on healthy habits, prevention of illness and injury, nutrition, oral health, sexuality, social development, family relationships, social relationships, self-responsibility and school progress. Due to limited exam time available, some of the guidance may be as handouts, videotapes, web linkages, etc. for study at home.

To assist families to play a more active role in their children's health and development, Bright Futures has created a number of family materials. Families can use the Bright Futures Encounter Forms during each scheduled well-child exam. These and other helpful and interesting materials can be downloaded for personal use at Bright Futures.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services also offers a variety of educational materials free of charge to Missouri residents. These include topics of interest to families such as child safety, child development, child health, and parenting. Materials for parents and for children are available. You may visit the department's free resources area to view the current list of print materials. You may also call 1-800-TEL-LINK (1-800-835-5465) to order these materials.

Periodicity Schedule

Well-child exams are important to assure on-going supervision of each child's health. Below is a periodicity schedule.

• Newborn (2-3) days
• By one Month
• 2-3 Months
• 4-5 Months
• 6-8 Months
• 9-11 Months
• 12-14 Months
• 15-17 Months
• 18-23 Months
• 24 Months
• 3 Years
• 4 Years
• 5 Years
• 6-7 Years
• 8-9 Years
• 10-11 Years
• 12-13 Years
• 14-15 Years
• 16-17 Years
• 18-19 Years
• 20 Years

The HCY Program also offers the following periodic screenings:

• Dental screening—from 6 months old to 21 years.
• Hearing screening—from 3 years old to 21 years.