When your infant, child, or adolescent needs care, MIT Health offers convenience, quality, flexibility, and a number of providers accepting new patients.
This includes both pediatricians and family medicine practitioners who can care for children and adults alike. Having so many clinicians who can care for children ensures that your child can get the care they need, when they need it. Learn more about our services and how to make your first appointment.
Are you expecting?
MIT Health is here to support your growing family and give your new baby the best possible start in life. Get started now:
- Attend a Baby Talk session: Get answers to your questions about birthing options, breastfeeding, common newborn health issues, and more.
- Take a class: MIT Health offers classes on childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, infant soothing techniques, and newborn care. Find the classes that are right for you!
- Choose a PCP: Read provider bios and choose a primary care provider for your new baby.
- See our complete Countdown to Baby checklist for info on making your baby’s first appointment and more.
Coming from another pediatric practice?
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3…
- Make an appointment with the clinician of your choice.
- Fill out a medical history form for your child. Once you’ve made the appointment, you will get a link to fill out the form online.
- Come to your first visit with your child’s immunization record (translated into English, if necessary), growth chart, and a list of any prescription medication your child is currently taking.
Routine physical exams
During a routine physical — or “checkup” — your child’s primary care provider (PCP) will do a complete physical exam, review your child’s immunizations, give your child any immunizations they need, and schedule necessary laboratory work, such as blood tests. Children aged three and older will also have vision and hearing tests as part of a routine physical. Routine physicals are a good opportunity to ask questions and share health concerns.
Call at least eight weeks in advance to schedule a routine physical for your child. Keep in mind that late spring and late summer — before summer camps and schools start — are the busiest times of year.
When should my child have a routine physical?
Your child should have routine physical exams at:
- 1 week or less
- 1 month
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 12 months
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 24 months
- 30 months
- 36 months
After age three, your child should have a checkup once a year.
Immunizations
State law requires that children have certain immunizations by specific ages [PDF].In addition to these required vaccines, MIT Health offers all additional vaccines recommended by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
If you are coming to MIT from another state or country, your previous clinician should complete and sign a certificate of immunization for your child. Please bring this to your first visit.
If your child is sick or hurt
Weekdays: If your child needs to be seen the same day, we can schedule a same-day appointment with an available clinician. Call Primary Care during regular office hours (8 a.m.–5 p.m., weekdays) to speak with a triage nurse. Describe the symptoms in detail, so we can give you advice about what to do next.
If the illness or injury is something you can treat at home, we’ll give you advice over the phone. If your child needs to be seen at MIT Health, we’ll schedule a visit promptly, either in Primary Care or in the Urgent Care Service at MIT Health/Cambridge. If it’s an emergency, we’ll direct you to an appropriate hospital emergency room.
When you come in for a “sick visit,” bring a list of the medications your child has taken. Be sure to note dosages and times.
Overnight, weekends, and holidays: Call our 24-hour help line at 617-253-4481 to speak to a triage nurse. Describe your symptoms in detail, so the nurse can give you advice about what to do next. At least one Primary Care clinician, including one who can treat infants and young children, is always on call — 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Communicating with your child’s provider
Our patient portal, HealthELife offers a convenient way for parents to communicate non-urgent information with their child’s MIT Health provider. You can use HealthELife to send messages to your child’s PCP, look up your child’s immunization history, read notes from past appointments, and more.
You can sign up for a HealthELife account for a child up to 12 years of age. Just ask your provider to send you a personal invitation to HealthELife for your child. Adolescents may sign up for their own HealthELife accounts once they turn 13.
Need us to fill out a health form?
If your child needs a health form for school, daycare, summer camp, or a sports team, call or send us the form. As long as your child has had a checkup within the last 12 months and is up to date on immunizations, we will fill out the form and send it back to you within a week. If your child requires a physical exam for a particular sport, call to schedule an appointment. You may also request a copy of your child’s latest physical exam using HealthELife. Just let your child's provider know you need the form and we can send it to you through the portal.