Health Checks For Children: What To Expect and Why They Matter

The Benefits of Private Health Checks for Children and Babies

By Dr Gabriel Chain, Consultant Paediatrician & Associate Medical Director at Kidswell Health

At Kidswell Health, we believe that caring for children isn’t just about treating illness, it’s about supporting their growth, development, and wellbeing at every stage. That’s why we offer the Kidswell Health Check.

What is a Kidswell Health Check?

A Kidswell Health Check is a comprehensive, age-appropriate health review carried out by a paediatric specialist doctor at regular intervals. These checks begin from the start of life when your doctor first meets your newborn. The checks are encouraged more frequently in the first two years of life, and transition to annual visits as your child grows. The focus is on routine health surveillance, monitoring of well-being, early identification of concerns, and proactive support for every aspect of your child’s growth and development. 

Each visit is thoughtfully structured to give families time with a dedicated Kidswell doctor to ask questions, express concerns, and receive tailored guidance in a calm, welcoming environment.

Why Regular Children’s Health Checks Matter:

Inspired by the standardised “Well Child” visits offered in paediatric clinics around the world, Kidswell Health Checks are structured, supportive appointments designed to keep your child on track physically, emotionally, and developmentally from infancy through adolescence. 

These visits are a cornerstone of good paediatric care and help build long-term relationships with your family – all with the aim of helping children thrive. Effective paediatric care focuses on proactive rather than reactive surveillance. With so many facets to a child growing up, it is important to have continuity of care and ongoing monitoring in a regular environment.

What Happens During a Child’s Health Check?

Each visit is tailored to your child’s age and developmental stage, but here’s what you can typically expect:

Developmental Milestone Review: 

We track how your child is growing and developing – from gaining weight, first smiles and first steps in those early months, to increasing independence, and school readiness. We ensure peace of mind with ongoing monitoring from an expert to identify any concerns.

Feeding and Nutrition Support: 

Whether you’re navigating breastfeeding, starting solids, dealing with picky eating, or thinking about teenage nutrition, we’re here to support and guide you through the process.

Sleep and Behaviour Advice: 

From newborn night wakings to toddler tantrums and teenage sleep cycles, we offer evidence-based advice and management plans to ensure smooth sailing.

Anticipatory Guidance: 

This means preparing you for what’s ahead – for example, teething, toilet training, starting school, or puberty, so you feel ready and confident.

Safety and Injury Prevention: 

We provide age-appropriate safety tips on everything from car seats and sleep environments to screen use, online safety, and mental health.

Vaccinations: 

If your child is due for any vaccines, they can be administered during the visit. We’ll talk through the benefits and answer any questions you have.

Investigations: 

If we flag that your child could benefit from additional tests including blood tests, breathing assessments or imaging, we offer most of this in house in the clinic and where necessary can refer you to one of our trusted partners.

Time for Questions and Reassurance: 

One of the most valuable parts of these visits is simply having a calm space to ask, “Is this normal?” Whether it’s about feeding, development, social behaviour, or emotional wellbeing, your paediatric expert is there to listen.

Continuity:

At Kidswell Health, we focus on continuity. Where possible, we try to arrange your health check with the same physician each time. Where that is not possible, rest assured all our doctors practice the same high level, collaborative evidence based care. We know that building trust with your doctor matters – not just for parents, but for children too. When children see the same team regularly, they become more at ease during check-ups and more open as they mature.

We pride ourselves on providing a multidisciplinary approach and one stop shop to ensure close communication between our staff. With these regular meetings and collaborative efforts, if there is a particular concern raised in your appointment, the doctor has a full team behind them to discuss the case. Your child’s history, preferences, and progress are always known and respected.

A Lifelong Approach to Health

As children grow into teens and young adults, the focus of the Kidswell Health Check naturally evolves. We begin to centre conversations around independence, emotional wellbeing, peer relationships, healthy habits, and safe choices. This includes discussions around:

– Mental health and emotional resilience

– Screen time and social media use

– Sleep hygiene and school stress

– Puberty, body changes, and self-image

– Substance use and sexual health (when appropriate)

– By offering a consistent space for open, judgement-free conversation, we help young people feel heard, supported, and empowered to take ownership of their health.

Why Make Time for Routine Checks?

It’s easy to think of doctors as someone you visit when something’s wrong. But regular health checks offer a different kind of care, one that’s proactive, personalised, and holistic.

Kidswell Health Checks can help:

– Catch subtle developmental delays early

– Identify issues before they become bigger problems

– Support families through challenging transitions

– Build a record of your child’s growth and milestones

– Offer peace of mind and evidence-based advice

They’re also a powerful way to ensure that nothing gets missed – from eyesight or hearing concerns to emotional struggles that can be hard to spot.

Designed Around Your Family

At Kidswell Health, we’ve built our clinic around the needs of families – including flexible scheduling, calm waiting spaces, and warm, compassionate staff. Whether it’s your baby’s first check-up or your teen’s yearly review, we want you to feel supported from start to finish.

Book Your Child’s Health Check in London Today

No matter your child’s age or stage, a Kidswell Health Check can offer clarity, connection, and confidence for whatever comes next. Whether you’re a new parent with a thousand questions or simply looking to establish care with a trusted team, we’d love to meet you.

Head here to get in touch or call 020-3011-1843 to book your visit today.