Annual checkups and exams help to ensure that your child is growing and developing as they should. At the Northwestern Children’s Practice in Chicago, our doctors, nurse practitioners, and nurses assist parents and children from throughout the Chicagoland area by providing these important exams.
An annual checkup is performed to assess the growth and health of a child or adolescent. This is very important during the early stages of development. A complete physical exam will also be part of each checkup, and can help spot any issues before they become serious. The Northwestern Children's Practice offers comprehensive care from infancy through adolescence and works to educate parents on how to raise a healthy, loving child in addition to educating children on developing healthy habits The practice follows the recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care created by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Screenings at annual checkups for babies will include development, growth (including weight, length, and head circumference), hearing, and anemia. Vision may also be tested. Screenings for children and adolescents can include development, behavioral and mental health, school concerns, weight, height, BMI, blood pressure (for children three and older), anemia, lead, vision, hearing, and cholesterol tests.
During the exam, parents will receive information about:
Before the exam, writing down a list of questions can be very helpful. The doctor will compare the child’s development to regular milestones. These metrics are used to determine if development is on schedule. They can also help to identify areas of concern. The doctor will likely go over additional health topics including education, family relationships, overall well-being, and access to community services.
Well-child checkups will typically begin several days after discharge and again at two weeks. Following these visits, it is suggested that parents bring their child into the office according to the schedule below:
Follow ups may be conducted more frequently if there is a concern or if special treatment is required.
Listed are the major insurance providers we accept. Contact your insurance company or Human Resources to verify if we are in network with your specific plan. Please note, currently, we are out of network for all Marketplace Health Insurances.
"I have been taking my 6 month old son to NCP since he was born and I have only encountered top level service and medical advice from the doctors and nurses."
"We've been going to NCP for almost ten years...I am more than ecstatic to say that they've been very dedicated and have always been there for our family health issues."
"They are in tune with our girls, proactive about health care and give honest, practical advice. We moved out to the suburbs but will not stop going to this practice..."
"Very happy with my experience with NCP for my three children! Our primary is Dr. Hirsh but had great experiences with Drs. Unger, Li, King and Goldstein as well!"
