Young children should visit a doctor at least nine times during their first three years and at least once from twelve to twenty-four months. (Most of the visits take place soon after birth and during the first year.) While many of these visits will include immunizations, the pediatrician will also do a “well-baby check,” which means he will look for signs that your baby is healthy and growing at an appropriate rate.

The doctor and his staff will weigh and measure your one-year-old to make sure she's growing at a healthy, steady rate; check her hearing and eyesight; and ask you questions about what your baby is doing, such as whether she is standing up, walking, and talking. You should also feel free to tell your doctor about your baby. The more he knows, the more he'll be able to get a realistic idea of how your baby is growing and feeling. Since a baby can't communicate with descriptive words how she is feeling, you'll want to consider and discuss certain issues with your doctor, such as these:

• How well your child sleeps

• Whether your child is eating and feeding herself (or at least trying to)

• Whether your child is drinking from a cup

If your child seems heavy or underweight, your doctor will discuss ways to fix this. The doctor will also check your child's teeth (to make sure they're coming in), and he'll try to interact with your child to see if she's engaged, curious, and happy. The doctor may ask your child a question or see if she'll point to something when asked. The doctor will see if your one-year-old's eyes follow an object (like his finger), and he'll see if she responds to voices.

Most children are healthy and developing well. Your pediatrician will be able to tell where your child is on the developmental curve. If he's concerned about something or wants you to keep an eye on a specific behavior or physical issue, he'll tell you and ask you to come back so that he can follow-up on what he's noticed. One-year-olds are often scared, overwhelmed, or preoccupied at a doctor's visit, and they don't respond exactly the way a doctor wants them to. The doctor will usually follow up with any issues at later visits to make sure your child is developing normally.