How Often Should Children Get Lab Testing?

Find out when your child may require blood work.

Your child visits our Clarkston, Smyrna and Lithonia, GA, pediatricians at least once a year for checkups, but how often do they need to get bloodwork and what blood tests are essential for screening and preventing certain diseases. Along with vaccinations, a healthy lifestyle and regular screenings, our team may also periodically use lab testing and blood work to get a more in-depth look at how your little one’s body functions at a cellular level.

When is it common for children to get blood work? 

While your child won’t necessarily require blood work at every checkup, there will be times when we will need to take blood. Here are some of the checkups that will require blood work for your little one,

• Three to five days old: Once your child leaves the hospital, you’ll bring them to our Clarkston, GA, practice for their first checkup. During this checkup, we will take blood to have baseline levels to begin monitoring their health, growth and development.
• One month old: During your child’s one-month checkup, we may also perform a blood panel to check for any infectious diseases and look at hormones and other nutritional markers to ensure they are getting all the nutrients they need.
• Six months old: While this blood panel won’t be as comprehensive as the first few our Clarkston, GA, team performed, this blood panel will be used to identify any potential health problems and simply check the overall state of your baby’s health.
• Twelve months old: Your child just turned one year old, which is an exciting milestone. Of course, this also means another blood test to monitor your child’s health and check for any diseases.
• Four years old: Before your child begins preschool, they must turn to our team for a comprehensive checkup, including blood work. This will also ensure that your child’s immune system is healthy and functioning properly before entering school, as they will be exposed to many germs.
• As needed: If your child is showing signs or worrisome issues such as dizziness, fatigue, chronic headaches or other issues, our Clarkston, GA, pediatricians may recommend blood work to check for anemia, blood sugar problems, heart issues and other conditions that could be impacting their health.

If you have questions about blood work or the lab testing services we offer, don’t hesitate to ask our team at your next checkup. Decatur Pediatric Group has served the Clarkston, Smyrna and Lithonia, GA, communities for more than two decades. We are dedicated to keeping your child healthy and happy. Call us today at (404) 296-7133.