Well-Child Visits

• Regular Checkup for a Child

  Print this page and fill in the information if you are bringing your child in for an appointment. What questions or concerns do I have about my child that I want addressed during this appointment? Are there any recent stresses in the family that may be affecting my child, such as death of a loved one, loss...

• Milestones for Ages 15 to 18

  Ages 15 to 18 are an exciting time of life. But these years can be challenging for teens and their parents. Emotions can change quickly as teens learn to deal with school, their friends, and adult expectations. Teen self-esteem is affected by...

• Medical Checkups for Adolescents

  During your adolescent's yearly medical checkup, most doctors: Check your child's height and weight, body mass index, blood pressure, vision, and hearing. Listen to your child's heart and lungs. Also, the doctor will feel the lymph nodes and the...

• Growth and Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years

  How do teenagers grow and develop during ages 15 to 18? The ages from 15 to 18 are an exciting time of life. But these years can be challenging for teens and their parents. Emotions can change quickly as teens learn to deal with school, their friends, and adult expectations. Teen self-esteem is affected by success...

• How Adolescent Thinking Develops

  Adolescents typically think in concrete ways. This means that they have difficulty with abstract and symbolic concepts. Their thinking tends to be focused on the present. They are just starting to be able to gather information from experience, analyze information, and make critical decisions about future choices and...

• Emotional and Social Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years

  Independence, individuality, identity, and self-esteem are buzzwords for early teen emotional and social development. Elementary school-age children have strong ties to their families and want to please their parents. The years 11 through 14 are a transition between childhood and adulthood. Appropriately, adolescents...

• Helping Adolescents Develop More Mature Ways of Thinking

  Adolescent thinking tends to be focused on the present. But adolescents and teens are rapidly learning new skills related to complex reasoning, inductive and deductive reasoning, sensitivity toward others, flexibility, and problem solving. Remind yourself that it is normal for adolescents to have a sense of being...

• Physical Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years

  By age 15, most girls have had their first menstrual period and have completed the rapid growth spurt that usually occurs during puberty. After the first period, teenage girls grow 1.5 in. (3.8 cm) to 3 in. (7.6 cm) on average. Other early changes of puberty, such as the growth of pubic hair and breasts, have also...

• Emotional and Social Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years

  Older teens may seem mature at times, but they often will still have periods of childish behavior. Those who have not yet established a personal identity and sense of independence may try defining themselves through rebellious or difficult behavior. Teens learn about themselves through expanding their relationships...

• Well-Child Visits

  It's important for your child to have regularly scheduled checkups, often called well-child visits, beginning shortly after birth and lasting through the teen years. These appointments allow your doctor to keep a close eye on your child's general health and development. Finding possible problems early gives your child...

• Regular Checkup for a Child

  Print this page and fill in the information if you are bringing your child in for an appointment. What questions or concerns do I have about my child that I want addressed during this appointment? Are there any recent stresses in the family that may be affecting my child, such as death of a loved one, loss...