What Is a Well-Child Visit?
A well-child (or wellness) visit is a routine health checkup for your child designed to track growth, development, and overall health over time. At Rainbow Pediatrics, we follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended schedule, which means your child is seen on a consistent schedule, including yearly visits at a minimum as they get older. This allows us to monitor progress, provide timely screenings and vaccines, and offer guidance that’s relevant to what your child is experiencing right now.
Screenings & Tests That Keep Your Child Healthy
Spot Vision Testing
A quick, camera-based vision screening that can identify potential eye concerns early. This is often done during well-child visits and doesn’t require your child to read letters or symbols.
Lab Work
Occasionally, your child’s pediatrician may recommend blood or urine tests to get a clearer picture of their health. These are ordered thoughtfully and only when helpful for care decisions.
Sports Physicals
Many schools and athletic programs require a sports physical before kids can practice or compete. These exams help ensure your child is ready to participate, and we can complete the required forms during the visit.
What Happens During a Well-Child Visit?
While every wellness visit is tailored to your child’s age, most follow a familiar, easy rhythm, so families know what to expect. Here’s how a typical visit flows at Rainbow Pediatrics:
How Often Should My Child Have a Well-Child Visit?
As children grow, what they need from a wellness visit changes too. That’s why we adjust each visit to match your child’s age, development, and daily life.
Here’s what wellness visits typically focus on at different stages:
Babies & Toddlers (Birth–3 years)
Well-baby visits focus on growth, feeding, sleep, early development, home safety, and vaccines that help protect your child during their most rapid years of change.
Preschool & School-Age Kids (4–10 years)
Visits often include vision and hearing checks, school readiness, learning and behavior, social development, and guidance around staying healthy and safe as kids become more independent.
Preteens & Teens (11–18+ years)
Wellness visits expand to cover puberty, mental and emotional health, sports and activity clearance, screen time, peer relationships, and support as teens prepare for adulthood.
Most families at Rainbow Pediatrics continue annual wellness visits through the teen years, with care typically transitioning to an adult provider around age 18 or after high school graduation.
How to Prepare for Your Child’s Wellness Visit
You don’t need to do much to prepare, but a little planning can help you get the most out of your well-child visit.
Before you come in, it can be helpful to:
Convenient Locations Across Greater Fayetteville
Rainbow Pediatrics offers full-service pediatric care across multiple locations in Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Raeford, and Lumberton, making it easier to fit wellness visits into busy family schedules.
- Same-day appointments
- Online scheduling
- Saturday sick clinics
- Spanish-speaking staff
- TRICARE accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Rainbow Pediatrics follows the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) well‑child schedule, which includes more frequent visits in the first years of life and yearly checkups for older children and teens. If you are unsure when your child is due, the team can check their record and help you stay on track.
To keep healthy and sick children separate, Rainbow Pediatrics reserves specific times for well‑child visits, typically during mid‑day hours. Sick visits are offered at different times, and we typically welcome walk-ins so your child can be seen promptly when they are ill.
Because wellness exams take longer and appointment times fill quickly, especially before school and sports seasons, Rainbow Pediatrics recommends scheduling well visits well in advance. Booking early gives you more options for the day, time, and location that work best for your family.
Wellness visits are planned checkups for children who are not sick, focused on growth, development, vaccines, and preventive care. Sick visits are shorter, problem‑focused appointments for new symptoms like fever, cough, or ear pain, and Rainbow Pediatrics makes every effort to see sick children the same day or within 24 hours.
In many cases, your child’s wellness exam can be used to complete school, camp, or sports forms, as long as the visit meets the timing and exam requirements set by the organization. When you book the appointment, let the office know about any forms you need so that enough time is built into the visit.
Yes. Wellness visits are when most routine vaccines are reviewed and given, and Rainbow Pediatrics follows recommended immunization schedules to help protect children from serious illnesses. If you have questions about vaccines, your provider will go over the schedule, address concerns, and explain how each vaccine fits into your child’s overall care.