Preventive Health
Being a parent or caregiver can be exciting, but it isn’t always easy. Staying on track with your child’s well-visits, immunizations, and screenings can be challenging. UPMC Health Plan provides tools and resources that can help. We partner with you to make sure your children get a great start and grow up happy and healthy!
UPMC Health Plan’s recommendations are based on commonly accepted medical knowledge; the clinical guidance of UPMC experts; and the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and other reputable medical organizations.
Well-child visits
Taking your child for doctor visits is important for maintaining their health. These visits give your child’s doctor a chance to evaluate your child’s developmental milestones and talk with you about healthy habits.
During a well-child visit, a health care provider will:
- Do a head-to-toe exam.
- Provide any needed immunizations (shots).
- Check your child’s development.
- Perform needed screenings.
- Check for vision, hearing, or dental problems.
- Answer any questions you have.
Well-child visits are also a chance to develop a strong relationship with your child’s provider.
Children should have regular well-visits based on their age. Learn more about what to expect at each of your child’s well-visits by selecting one of the ages from the menu below.
- 3-5 days (48 to 72 hours after discharge from the hospital)
- 1 month
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 12 months
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 24 months
- 30 months
- 3 years
- 4 years
- 5 years
- 6, 7, 8 years
- 9, 10, 11 years
- 12, 13, 14 years
- 15, 16, 17 years
- 18 to 21 years
Immunizations
Immunizations (vaccines) can help protect your child from potentially life-threatening diseases. The following vaccine schedules are recommended. They have been reviewed and approved by many medical experts. Use the dropdown menu below to explore the immunizations recommended for your child’s age group.- Childhood immunization schedule: Ages 0 to 6 years
- Childhood immunization schedule: Ages 7 to 18 years
- HPV immunization schedule: Ages 11 to 13 years
Schedule Your Child's Immunizations Visit
Contact your child’s health care provider to talk about which immunizations your child may need to stay healthy.
Lead screening test
A lead screening test will determine if your child has been exposed to lead. Your child may have no symptoms in the early stages of lead exposure. Increased exposure can lead to lasting issues, including:
- Damage to the brain and nervous system.
- Slowed growth and development.
- Learning and behavior problems.
- Hearing and speech problems.
The first step to protecting your child is to have them tested for lead exposure.
If your child is between 12 months and 24 months old, ask their doctor to do a lead test. There is no cost for the lead test.
A lead test may be completed in the health care provider's office or in a lab. A small blood sample will be taken and tested for lead. A blood test can be unpleasant, but protecting your child from long-term lead poisoning effects is important. If your child has an elevated level of lead, your provider will help coordinate follow-up care. Our care management team is also available to support you and your child.
Schedule this important test
Talk to your child’s provider about getting this important test. It will only take a few minutes and having this test can help protect your child's future. If you need to find a provider for a lead test, immunizations, or a well-child visit, you can search for doctors in your network.
Possible sources of lead exposure
Your child may be exposed to lead in a number of ways, including through:
- Lead paint. It may be found in homes built before 1978, which are common in many cities and towns throughout Pennsylvania and other states.
- Lead pipes. Having these pipes in your home may result in lead in the water that runs through them.
- Soil and household dust.
- Glazes used in pottery and/or imported dishware.
- Certain toys that were made overseas.