2021 Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care.

Abstract

The 2021 Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care (Periodicity Schedule) has been approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and represents a consensus of the AAP and the Bright Futures Periodicity Schedule Workgroup. Each child and family is unique; therefore, these recommendations are designed for the care of children who are receiving competent parenting, have no manifestations of any important health problems, and are growing and developing in a satisfactory fashion. Developmental, psychosocial, and chronic disease issues for children and adolescents may require frequent counseling and treatment visits separate from preventive care visits. Additional visits also may become necessary if circumstances suggest variations from normal.The AAP continues to emphasize the great importance of continuity of care in comprehensive health supervision and the need to avoid fragmentation of care.1The Periodicity Schedule will not be published in Pediatrics. Readers are referred to the AAP website (www.aap.org/periodicityschedule) for the most recent version of the Periodicity Schedule and the full set of footnotes. This process will ensure that health care professionals have the most current recommendations. The Periodicity Schedule will be reviewed and revised annually to reflect current recommendations.Following are the changes made to the Periodicity Schedule since it was last published in March 2020.Screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been added to occur at least once between the ages of 18 and 79 years (to be consistent with recommendations of the US Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF] and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]).Jesse M. Hackell, MD, FAAP, ChairpersonJoseph J. Abularrage, MD, MPH, MPhil, FAAPYvette M. Almendarez, MD, FAAPAlexy D. Arauz Boudreau, MD, FAAPAbeba M. Berhane, MD, FAAPPatricia E. Cantrell, MD, FAAPLisa M. Kafer, MD, FAAPKatherine S. Schafer, DO, FAAPAlisa Skatrud, MPA, Family LiaisonRobin Warner, MD, FAAPElisha FergusonBright Futures Periodicity Schedule WorkgroupAlexy D. Arauz Boudreau, MD, FAAPPatricia E. Cantrell, MD, FAAPJoseph F. Hagan Jr, MD, FAAPAlex R. Kemper, MD, MPH, MS, FAAP, Bright Futures Evidence ExpertJudith S. Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN, FAAPAlisa Skatrud, MPA, Family LiaisonJane B. Bassewitz, MAKathryn M. Janies