The well child exam: what, when, and why?

The goal of the well child examination is to determine whether the child's needs at different ages and stages are being met. Although many parents need repeated visits to gain the confidence and knowledge required to meet those needs, other parents can do very well with the minimum number of visits. Once the child reaches school the required number of well child visits is unknown; each physician has to individualize a schedule to suit the needs of individual children and their families. The needs of adolescents and their reticence to discuss their problems require a special sensitivity from the physician in identifying the problems and helping the teenager to solve them.