Establishing a relationship with a pediatrician is one of the best things you can do to keep your child healthy, from birth through the teenage years.

“Pediatricians see children from newborns straight out of the hospital through the age of 18. We have a lot of visits with babies as they grow and develop. But an annual check-up starts at age 2,” says Loren Deputy, M.D., a pediatrician at CHI St. Vincent.

Dr. Deputy said they look at their growth, including height and weight, and make sure their diet is good. If they need improvements, she said they often add some multivitamins.

“We’ll be talking about exercise and screen time. Are they sleeping OK? Are they active? If they’re in daycare or school, how is that going? What kind of grades are they making? And for older kids, we’ll talk about bullying, including cyber bullying. It’s important to come in on a regular basis," said Dr. Deputy.

Learn more about pediatric care at CHI St. Vincent.