The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated its schedule of the screenings and health assessments that are recommended at each well-child visit from infancy through adolescence. The updated periodicity schedule reflects current AAP recommendations for preventive pediatric health care, which are explained in detail in the third edition of “Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children and Adolescents.” Under the Affordable Care Act, non-grandfathered health plans are required to cover services that are recommended by Bright Futures (and included in the periodicity schedule), with no cost sharing.

 Changes include:  

• Information was added about a specific screening tool to assess adolescents’ for alcohol and drug use. 
• Screening for depression at ages 11 through 21 years has been added, along with suggested screening tools. 
• Cholesterol screening between ages 9 and 11 years was added.
• A risk assessment for hematocrit or hemoglobin at ages 15 and 30 months was added. 
•  Screening for HIV was added between age 16 and 18 years.  
• Adolescents should no longer be routinely screened for cervical dysplasia until age 21. 
• Newborns should be screened for critical congenital heart disease using pulse oximetry before leaving the hospital. 

The schedule is published in the March 2014 Pediatrics (published online Feb. 24). Future updates to the schedule will be made online periodically. 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 62,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.