Pediatric preventive care helps families stay connected to their child’s health, even when the child seems healthy. Regular visits give your child’s care team a chance to track changes over time, answer questions, and support your child through each stage of growth.

Every child should have a preventive care visit each year to evaluate growth, developmental milestones, overall health, and recommended immunizations. Children younger than 3 years of age usually need more frequent visits. Your child's care team can help you know when to schedule the next visit.

Preventive care visits may help:

• Track growth and development.
• Review immunizations.
• Check physical health.
• Talk about emotional well-being.
• Support school readiness.
• Build healthy routines.
• Identify concerns early.
• Help parents and caregivers feel supported.

Why This Matters: Preventive care can help find concerns early and gives families a trusted place to ask questions before health needs become more serious.

Learn More About Preventive Care
Peak Vista follows recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Families who would like to learn more can visit.

• HealthyChildren.org(opens in a new tab): Learn about recommended preventive care visits from birth through age 18.

Routine preventive care visits help children, parents, and caregivers build a trusting relationship with the care team over time.

This relationship can help families:

• Share concerns more comfortably.
• Ask questions as the child grows.
• Receive guidance through different stages of childhood.
• Help children feel more comfortable with care.
• Support teens as they learn to ask health questions.

Why This Matters: A long-term care relationship helps your child have support from infancy through adolescence.

Preventive care visits are routine pediatric appointments focused on your child's overall health.

These visits may include:

• Growth checks.
• Development checks.
• Vaccine review.
• Emotional well-being questions.
• Physical health review.
• parent or caregiver questions.

Babies and young children usually need more frequent visits. Older children and teens continue to benefit from routine visits as they grow.

Why This Matters: Preventive care visits help your child’s care team understand how your child is growing and what support may be needed.

Back-to-school physicals can help families prepare for school health requirements and forms.

These visits may help with:

• School forms.
• Immunization review.
• Medication needs.
• Chronic condition plans.
• Health needs that may affect school participation.
• Questions about school readiness.

During the visit, the provider may review your child’s health history, check growth and overall health, review immunization records, talk through any medications or ongoing conditions, and complete school forms when appropriate.

Note: Please bring any school forms or instructions to the appointment.

Why This Matters: Planning ahead can help your child start school with the health support they need.

Sports physicals help determine whether a child or teen can safely participate in sports or activities.

A sports physical may focus on:

• Health history.
• Current symptoms or concerns.
• Medications.
• Past injuries.
• Physical activity needs.
• Required sports or activity forms.

During the visit, the provider may ask about your child’s health history, past injuries, breathing or heart-related concerns, medications, and current symptoms. The provider may also complete a physical exam and review the required sports form before deciding whether the child can be cleared for participation.

Note: Schedule early before sports seasons begin when possible.

Why This Matters: Sports physicals help support safe participation in athletics, activities, and school programs.

Preventive care visits help your child’s provider understand how your child is growing and developing. These checks help the care team notice changes early and support healthy growth, learning, and development.

Your child's provider may review:

• Physical health.
• Height and weight.
• Growth patterns.
• Developmental milestones.
• Movement, speech, and learning.
• Physical activity.
• Nutrition and sleep.
• Overall health.

Why This Matters: These checks can help the care team understand whether follow-up or extra support may be helpful.

Preventive care visits may include reviewing vaccine records and discussing recommended immunizations. Staying up to date helps protect your child and keeps them ready for school, care, and activities.

Your child may need vaccine records for:

• School.
• Child care.
• Sports.
• Camps.
• Activities.
• Other programs.

Note: For more detailed information about vaccine records, school forms, and sports physicals, visit the Immunizations and School Forms page.

Why This Matters: Staying on track with immunizations and records can help your child stay ready for school, care, and activities.

Preventive care visits are a good time to ask about your child’s emotional and behavioral health. Talking about concerns early can help your child feel supported at home, school, and in daily life.

Families can ask about:

• Mood.
• Behavior.
• Sleep.
• Attention.
• School stress.
• Anxiety.
• Family changes.
• Learning concerns.
• Other emotional health needs.

Why This Matters: Talking about emotional and behavioral health helps the care team understand your child’s overall well-being.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to write down questions before the visit and bring them to the appointment. Asking questions helps your child learn, feel heard, and take part in their care.

Questions may be about:

• Health routines.
• School.
• Stress.
• Sports.
• Growth and development.
• Nutrition and sleep.
• Medications.
• Follow-up needs.

Older children and teens can also be encouraged to bring their own questions.

Why This Matters: Bringing questions helps families get more out of each visit.

Bring any information that may help your child’s care team understand their health needs.

Helpful items may include:

• Insurance information, if available.
• Parent or guardian information.
• Immunization records.
• Medication lists.
• School forms.
• Sports forms.
• Activity forms.
• Questions or concerns you want to discuss.

Note: Bring what you have. If you are unsure what is needed, Peak Vista can help explain next steps.

Why This Matters: Bringing helpful information can make the visit smoother and help the provider complete needed forms or follow-up steps.

Schedule preventive care before school, sports, camp, or activity deadlines when forms or physicals are needed.

Planning ahead may help with:

• Back-to-school forms.
• Sports physicals.
• Camp or activity forms.
• Immunization needs.
• Medication needs.
• Follow-up appointments.

Note: Appointments may be busier during back-to-school and sports seasons.

Why This Matters: Scheduling early can help your family avoid delays when deadlines are coming up.

Families can restart preventive care even if a child has missed visits, is behind on vaccines, or has not seen a provider in a while.

To restart care, families can:

• Schedule an appointment.
• Bring any records they have.
• Ask what vaccines or forms may be needed.
• Share any current health concerns.
• Ask about follow-up steps.

Note: Do not worry if you do not have everything. Bring what you can.

Why This Matters: It is never too late to reconnect with routine care and support your child’s health.

Preventive care visits are for routine health needs. Sick visits are for symptoms, illness, or new health concerns.

Call Peak Vista if your child is sick and you are unsure what type of care may be needed.

Note: If symptoms are severe, sudden, or life-threatening, call 911 or seek emergency care right away.

Why This Matters: Knowing the difference between routine care and sick care can help your child get the right care at the right time.

Pediatric preventive care includes routine visits that help support your child’s health before problems become more serious.

Preventive care may support:

• Growth and development.
• Immunizations.
• Emotional well-being.
• School readiness.
• Sports participation.
• Long-term health.

Want to Learn More?
HealthyChildren.org(opens in a new tab) provides an overview of recommended preventive care visits from birth through age 18.