What are the recommended health screenings by age?

Health screenings help doctors detect medical problems early, before a person has symptoms. The type of screenings people need can vary by age.

For example, while screenings in babies measure their growth and development, screenings in older adults often focus on detecting specific conditions.

Read on to learn which health screenings doctors recommend by age.

Health screenings begin soon after birth and change as children grow up.

Soon after the birth of a baby, clinicians perform health screenings to check for a range of conditions, such as:

These conditions do not always cause symptoms early in life, so screenings help doctors identify them early, which can improve outcomes.

In most states, this involves one screening during the first 24 to 48 hours of life. However, some states may perform another screening at 1 to 2 weeks old, usually at a doctor’s office.

Doctors recommend that children between the ages of 1 and 4 years attend seven well-child visits, which are checkups that can promote health and detect a range of health conditions early.

They may also check for developmental milestones at certain ages and perform autism screenings at ages 18 and 24 months.

In addition to screenings, well-child visits can provide valuable guidance on nutrition, sleep, vaccinations, and other aspects of child health.

They may also benefit from education on safer sex, smoking, drugs, and alcohol.

In addition to general health checks, adults between the ages of 18 and 39 may begin having screenings for specific diseases, such as:

There are also some screenings people may get at this age if they have a higher-than-usual risk of a condition. For example, people with inflammatory bowel disease may have colorectal cancer screenings before age 45 years.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults in the United States get a hepatitis C test at least once in their lifetime and any time they become pregnant. People who inject drugs, share needles, or have certain medical conditions may need regular testing.

At age 40 years and over, adults may begin getting recommendations from doctors to schedule additional screenings to detect conditions that occur more often with age. Experts recommend the following screenings:

Continued blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring is also important at this age. People with a higher risk for conditions such as CVD or cancer may have more frequent screenings.

Many of the same screenings adults begin at midlife can continue into older adulthood. However, there are some that doctors may recommend adding or performing more frequently, such as:

People can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of continuing to screen for these conditions with their doctor.

Health screenings can help medical professionals identify health issues before they cause symptoms, meaning a person can get a quicker diagnosis and treatment.

People of different ages can benefit from different health screenings, ranging from well-child visits for young children to screenings for cancer or vision loss in older adults.

Some types of screening, such as skin or dental checkups, are valuable at any age. People can speak with a primary care doctor for information about the screenings that they may need.

If a person suspects they could be at a higher risk for some conditions than others, bring this information to a doctor so they can determine if they need earlier or more frequent screenings.