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.1
The Periodicity Schedule will not be published in Pediatrics.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.
Developmental
• Footnote 11 has been updated to read, “Screening should occur per ‘Promoting Optimal Development: Identifying Infants and Young Children with Developmental Disorders Through Developmental Surveillance and Screening’ (https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/145/1/e20193449).”
Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Footnote 12 has been updated to read, “Screening should occur per ‘Identification, Evaluation, and Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder’ (https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/145/1/e20193447).”
Hepatitis C Virus Infection
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]).
• Footnote 31 has been added to read, “All individuals should be screened for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection according to the USPSTF (https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/hepatitis-c-screening) and CDC recommendations (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/rr/rr6902a1.htm) at least once between the ages of 18 and 79. Those at increased risk of HCV infection, including those who are persons with past or current injection drug use, should be tested for HCV infection and reassessed annually.”
This document is copyrighted and is property of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its Board of Directors. All authors have filed conflict of interest statements with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Any conflicts have been resolved through a process approved by the Board of Directors. The American Academy of Pediatrics has neither solicited nor accepted any commercial involvement in the development of the content of this publication.
Policy statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics benefit from expertise and resources of liaisons and internal (AAP) and external reviewers. However, policy statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics may not reflect the views of the liaisons or the organizations or government agencies that they represent.
The guidance in this statement does not indicate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate.
All policy statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics automatically expire 5 years after publication unless reaffirmed, revised, or retired at or before that time.
FUNDING: No external funding.
References
Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine, 2020–2021
Jesse M. Hackell, MD, FAAP, Chairperson
Joseph J. Abularrage, MD, MPH, MPhil, FAAP
Yvette M. Almendarez, MD, FAAP
Alexy D. Arauz Boudreau, MD, FAAP
Abeba M. Berhane, MD, FAAP
Patricia E. Cantrell, MD, FAAP
Lisa M. Kafer, MD, FAAP
Katherine S. Schafer, DO, FAAP
Alisa Skatrud, MPA, Family Liaison
Robin Warner, MD, FAAP
Staff
Elisha Ferguson
Bright Futures Periodicity Schedule Workgroup
Alexy D. Arauz Boudreau, MD, FAAP
Patricia E. Cantrell, MD, FAAP
Joseph F. Hagan Jr, MD, FAAP
Alex R. Kemper, MD, MPH, MS, FAAP, Bright Futures Evidence Expert
Judith S. Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN, FAAP
Alisa Skatrud, MPA, Family Liaison
Staff
Jane B. Bassewitz, MA
Kathryn M. Janies
Competing Interests
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.