7 Screening Tests You Should Never Skip

Make sure to get your kids tested too. Mark these important vaccine and screening dates in your calendar.

Blood pressure should be checked at every doctor's visit beginning at age 3.

Visual inspections of the spine to look for asymmetry are recommended during puberty. If a curve is noted, the child will be sent for an x-ray.

Monitoring the height and weight of children regularly can help prevent obesity. Your child's body mass index (BMI) should be calculated at his yearly physical.

Routine tests should be conducted by school nurses and during regular checkups.

Protects against 70% of cervical cancers. Three doses recommended for girls 11 to 12 (but can be given to women up to age 26).

Given to 11- to 12-year-olds or before high school—and to unvaccinated college students living in dorms.

Safeguards against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Booster doses are given beginning at age 11 (to those who had the series as infants) and are recommended every 10 years throughout adulthood.

Copyright © 2007. Used with permission from the September 2007 issue of Family Circle magazine.

All content on this Web site, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of this site and the information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.