When and where can I get my baby's checkup? About inspection contents and costs

When and how many times does the infant health checkup for babies take place, and what does it involve? Make sure to also check what you need to bring.

What is infant health checkup?

The official name is "Infant Health Checkup." This is a medical checkup for infants under 1 year old and infants between 1 year old and preschool age. We will check to see if your baby (child) is growing normally and if there are any illnesses or abnormalities. You can also consult with doctors and other experts about growth and development, as well as concerns and worries about childcare.
Health checkups for 1 year and 6 months old children and 3 year old children are legal health checkups that all municipalities are required to conduct under the Maternal and Child Health Act. The checkup rate for both cases is high at approximately 90%, indicating that most households undergo these two checkups.

Are there any other medical examinations in addition to the statutory medical examinations?

The law stipulates that in addition to the 18-month-old child's health checkup and the 3-year-old child's health checkup, ``health checkups must be conducted as necessary,'' but the timing and frequency are up to each municipality, so they vary depending on the municipality.
Looking at the results for 2021 (*), in addition to the statutory medical checkups for 18 months old and 3 year olds, 99.5% of municipalities conducted medical checkups for 3 to 5 month old children, and 81.0% of cities conducted medical checkups for 9 to 12 month old children. It can be said that most local governments conduct four rounds of infant health checkups. Health checkups conducted by these local governments are free of charge.
(*Reference: Children and Families Agency “About infant health checkups”)

What is 1 month old baby checkup?

A one-month-old baby will receive a "1-month-old health checkup" at the hospital where he or she was born. As this treatment is not covered by insurance, the cost is generally paid by the patient. Although it varies depending on the medical institution and the content, it is generally between a few thousand yen and 10,000 yen. Depending on your local government, you may be able to receive financial assistance, so it's a good idea to check before your visit.
Additionally, although this is not a large number (approximately 30% of the total), some local governments conduct health checkups for 1-2 month old infants. Most health checkups sponsored by local governments are group health checkups at health centers, etc., but 1-2 month health checkups are generally individual health checkups.

This article explains the contents of the 1-month health check in detail.

To receive a medical checkup

For health checkups conducted by local governments, families with eligible infants will receive notifications and check-up forms from the city, ward, town, or village. Please reserve your desired date and time by phone or online. Recently, an increasing number of local governments are allowing reservations to be made through the messaging app LINE.
In addition to group health checkups held at local health centers and health centers, there are also individual health checkups where you bring your consultation ticket to a medical institution, but in these cases you will need to make an appointment directly with the medical institution. There are many cases where infant health checkups have fixed days and times, so please check the available days and make a reservation before coming to the hospital.

What do I need to prepare?

Bring your maternal and child health handbook, infant medical card, and health insurance card for both mother and baby. If you are visiting a medical institution, you will also need a medical card. If you have a medical examination ticket from your local government, don't forget to bring it with you. If a medical questionnaire is included with your medical examination ticket, filling it out in advance will help ensure a smooth visit.

If you do not have a consultation ticket, you will need to pay the consultation fee, so please prepare one before coming to the hospital.
You may have to wait a long time, so it's a good idea to bring things you need for changing diapers and breastfeeding, as well as toys to distract you. It's a good idea to have a change of clothes in case you get it dirty. Please remember to bring any other items listed in the medical examination instructions.
Also, if you organize what you want to talk about, you won't have to worry about asking anything. We recommend that you write it down and bring it with you.

A hip seat is recommended because it makes it easier to move while carrying luggage and to load and unload your baby.

What do you do during a medical checkup?

During the infant health checkup, we check not only the child's health but also whether the child's physical growth is progressing normally, and the degree of motor and mental development. The content of the test varies depending on your age and age.

At the one-month checkup, we check the child's physical growth and nutritional status, as well as whether they move their limbs and respond to sounds and voices.
During the checkup for 3- to 5-month-old infants, we will also check how the hip joints open, how the head is sitting, eye movements, vocalization, etc.
When a 6- to 7-month-old child has a checkup, we will check to see if the child can roll over and sit up, and how many times the baby is fed baby food. At the 9- to 10-month-old child's checkup, we check whether the child can stand up and crawl, the condition of the teeth, and the extent to which the child makes vocalizations called babbling.

A 18-month-old child's health checkup includes checking the growth rate of the spine and thorax, checking for any diseases or abnormalities on the skin, and also conducting a dental checkup. We also check to see if your child can walk on his own and grasp small objects.
At the 3-year-old child's health checkup, we perform vision and hearing tests, and check whether the child can say his or her name and pack the specified number of building blocks.

During any health checkup, you can discuss any concerns or questions you may have. It's OK not only to have concerns about growth and health, but also to worry about childcare. We recommend that you write down the things you want to ask on a daily basis.

Do I have to go to every medical checkup?

Each checkup is set at a time when it is considered necessary to be checked by a specialist, such as the checkup for 1-month-old infants at the end of the newborn period, and the checkup for 3- to 5-month-old infants when there are major changes in the growth process such as sitting upright. It is an important opportunity to understand the child's growth and health status, and may lead to early detection of diseases and abnormalities, so we recommend that you take the time to have your child examined.
If you do not seek medical attention, you may receive a phone call from the local government or hospital to check on your situation. In some cases, you may be asked to make a home visit.

It is also an opportunity to consult with various experts such as doctors, dentists, public health nurses, midwives, nutritionists, and psychological consultants to resolve your worries and anxieties, so please take advantage of it.

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