The Next Two Years
As your baby grows, he will not need to be seen routinely as often as when he was an infant. Instead of every three months, most doctors see children once every six months. These visits are for the same reasons as the earlier ones-to make sure your child is growing and developing as he should and to provide you with an opportunity to ask questions. New topics will become important, although many of the old ones such as behavior and eating may need to be discussed again.
Your child’s doctor will continue to examine your child completely at each visit. These exams may become more difficult as your baby begins to resist, not wanting a stranger to touch him. This reaction is normal as your baby grows and matures. Doctors expect to see this resistance and actually become a little concerned if it isn’t present.
You may wonder how doctors can examine a screaming child and get useful information. Surprisingly, the doctor can usually find out most of what she needs to know. Some decide not to force the issue if the child is getting extremely upset, but a fair amount can be learned from a screaming baby.
As your child grows, more emphasis is put on his behavioral growth and development. Developmental milestones are still very important. Walking, talking, toilet training, and setting limits are some of the topics you should discuss with your doctor. Safety continues to be a concern because accidents are the number one killer of young children.