Well Child Exam 15 to 18 Years

About this topic

Your teens well child exam is a visit with the doctor to check your child's health. The doctor measures your teen's weight and height, and may measure your teen's body mass index (BMI). The doctor plots these numbers on a growth curve. The growth curve gives a picture of your teen's growth at each visit. The doctor may listen to your teen's heart, lungs, and belly. Your doctor will do a full exam of your teen from the head to the toes. ‚
Your teen may also need shots or blood tests during this visit. ‚

General

Growth and Development ‚
Your doctor will ask you how your teen is developing. The doctor will focus on the skills that most teens your child's age are expected to do. During this time of your teen's life, here are some things you can expect. ‚

Physical development ¢ ˆ ’ Your teen may:
- Look physically older than actual age
- Need reminders about drinking water when active
- Not want to do physical activity if your teen does not feel good at sports
Hearing, seeing, and talking ¢ ˆ ’ Your teen may:
- Be able to see the long-term effects of actions
- Have more ability to think and reason logically
- Understand many viewpoints
- Spend more time using interactive media, rather than face-to-face communication
Feelings and behavior ¢ ˆ ’ Your teen may:
- Be very independent
- Spend a great deal of time with friends
- Have an interest in dating
- Value the opinions of friends over parents thoughts or ideas
- Want to push the limits of what is allowed
- Believe bad things won 't happen to them
- Feel very sad or have a low mood at times
Feeding ¢ ˆ ’ Your teen needs:
- To learn to make healthy choices when eating. Serve healthy foods like lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Help your teen choose healthy foods when out to eat.
- To start each day with a healthy breakfast
- To limit soda, chips, candy, and foods that are high in fats
- Healthy snacks available like fruit, cheese and crackers, or peanut butter
- To eat meals as a part of the family. Turn the TV and cell phones off while eating. Talk about your day, rather than focusing on what your teen is eating.
Sleep ¢ ˆ ’ Your teen:
- Needs 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night
- Should be allowed to read each night before bed. Have your teen brush and floss the teeth before going to bed as well.
- Should limit TV and computers for the hour before bedtime
- Should turn off cell phone at night
- Needs a routine to make week nights easier. Encourage your teen to get up at a normal time on weekends instead of sleeping late.
Shots or vaccines ¢ ˆ ’ It is important for your teen to get shots on time. This protects your teen from very serious illnesses like pertussis or some kinds of pneumonia. Your teen may need:
- HPV or human papillomavirus vaccine
- Influenza vaccine
- Meningococcal vaccine upon entering college

Help for Parents ‚

Activities.
- Encourage your teen to spend at least 30 to 60 minutes each day being physically active.
- Offer your teen a variety of activities to take part in. Include music, sports, arts and crafts, and other things your teen is interested in. Take care not to over schedule your teen. One to 2 activities a week outside of school is often a good number for your teen.
- Make sure your teen wears a helmet when using anything with wheels like skates, skateboard, bike, etc.
- Encourage time spent with friends. Provide a safe area for this.
- Know where and who your teen is with at all times. Get to know your teen's friends and families.
Here are some things you can do to help keep your teen safe and healthy.
- Teach your teen about safe driving. Remind your teen never to ride with someone who has been drinking or using drugs. Talk about distracted driving. Teach your teen never to text or use a cell phone while driving.
- Make sure your teen uses a seat belt when driving or riding in a car. Talk with your teen about how many passengers are allowed in the car.
- Talk to your teen about the dangers of smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs. Do not allow anyone to smoke in your home or around your teen.
- Talk with your teen about peer pressure. Help your teen learn how to handle risky things friends may want to do.
- Talk about sexually responsible behavior and delaying sexual intercourse. Discuss birth control and sexually-transmitted diseases. Talk about how alcohol or drugs can influence the ability to make good decisions.
- Remind your teen to use headphones responsibly. Limit how loud the volume is turned up. Never wear headphones, text, or use a cell phone while riding a bike or crossing the street.
- Protect your teen from gun injuries. If you have a gun, use a trigger lock. Keep the gun locked up and the bullets kept in a separate place.
- Limit screen time for teens to 1 to 2 hours per day. This includes TV, phones, computers, and video games.
Parents need to think about:
- Monitoring your teen's computer use, especially when on the Internet
- How to keep open lines of communication about sex and dating
- College and work plans for your teen
- Finding an adult doctor to care for your teen
- Turning responsibilities of health care over to your teen
- Having your teen help with some family chores to encourage responsibility within the family
The next well teen visit will most likely be when 19 to 21 years old. At this visit, your doctor may:
- Do a full check up on your teen
- Talk about college and work
- Talk about sexuality and sexually-transmitted diseases
- Talk about driving and safety

When do I need to call the doctor?

Fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher
Low mood, suddenly getting poor grades, or missing school
You are worried about alcohol or drug use
You are worried about your teens development

Where can I learn more?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/pdfs/teen15-17.pdf ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/medical/checkup-15yrs.html#cat160 ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/medical/checkup_16yrs.html#cat160 ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/medical/checkup_17yrs.html#cat160 ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/medical/checkup_18yrs.html# ‚

Last Reviewed Date

2015-02-03 ‚

List_set bdysylist

Healthy Living
Pediatric

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer

This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care provider 's advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚

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