Child health screening in Singapore: every check from birth to Primary 1

Child health screening in Singapore starts before you leave the hospital, with a hearing test and a few blood tests for your newborn. After that, HealthHub lists seven developmental checks from 4 weeks to 48 months, done at a polyclinic, GP or paediatrician. MOH fully subsidises all seven for Singapore Citizen children at polyclinics and CHAS GP clinics. HPB then screens height, weight and vision at preschool in K1 and K2.

What to do, step by step

1. Check page 3 of the Child Health Booklet before you go home. HealthHub says that page records your baby's birth data, such as the hearing screen done at birth.
2. Ask the ward which newborn tests are still to come. SGH says an outpatient slot is arranged if the hearing screen can't be finished, and its thyroid blood test is done on days 6 to 8.
3. Book the first developmental check for about 4 weeks old. HealthHub's window is 4 to 8 weeks. SingHealth Polyclinics takes bookings in the HealthHub app or on 6643 6969.
4. Fill in the booklet's developmental checklist for that age before the visit, as HealthHub asks.
5. Bring the paper booklet every time, even if you use the app. HealthHub says the doctor or nurse records the vaccines and the screening result in the hard copy.
6. Save the other six dates in your phone: 3 or 4 months, then 6, 12, 18, 30 and 48 months (HealthHub). Jabs due around then can be given at the same visit, so check our vaccination schedule tool or our guide to the NCIS.
7. Pick the clinic by cost. MOH says no application is needed: citizen children get the seven checks fully subsidised at polyclinics and CHAS GP clinics, and PR children get subsidies at polyclinics.
8. Raise any worry at the visit, or book one sooner. HealthHub says the doctor will assess your child and advise on further checks.
9. From K1, expect HPB's screening at preschool. It covers height, weight and vision, and children who miss it are referred to the Student Health Centre.

Every check from birth to Primary 1

HealthHub sets the seven touchpoints, with the age window in brackets. HPB's booklet addendum lists what each one covers, and every visit also has a physical examination and developmental check. The newborn row comes from SGH and the school rows from HPB.

HPB's addendum puts the second check at 3 months for babies on the 5-in-1 vaccine schedule and at 4 months for those on the 6-in-1.

Newborn screening in hospital

SGH lists five newborn screens. The hearing test happens in the first few days, before discharge, and takes at least 30 minutes because your baby must be calm. A first fail doesn't mean your baby has hearing loss, SGH says. Fluid in the ear or a baby who moves a lot can cause it, so the test is repeated, and a second fail leads to an ENT referral.

The other four are a thyroid blood test on days 6 to 8, G6PD screening, a metabolic blood test that includes cystic fibrosis and severe combined immune deficiency, and a check of the oxygen levels in your baby's hands and feet for heart defects. KKH's lab for the national expanded newborn screening programme, which began in 2006, screens about 90% of babies born in Singapore. If your baby has G6PD deficiency, SGH says some medicines and foods, like fava beans, can trigger jaundice or anaemia, so tell every doctor.

Polyclinics also book newborn jaundice screening; our newborn jaundice guide covers it. Thalassaemia isn't on SGH's newborn list, and our thalassaemia screening guide explains who gets tested.

What happens at each developmental check

Your child is weighed and measured, and the doctor reviews the checklist you filled in. HealthHub says growth, milestones and vaccines go into the booklet at each visit. The milestones fall into four groups: personal-social, fine motor, language and gross motor.

Each milestone has a number beside it. The booklet says it's the age by which 90% of Singapore children have that skill, so it sits later than the average. If your child can't do a skill yet, the booklet asks you to discuss it with the doctor. Between visits, plot height and weight in our growth percentile calculator and tick skills in the milestone tracker. Our month-by-month milestones guide covers the first year.

The latest booklet, updated Dec 2025, adds a Childhood Health Behaviours Checklist on screen use, sleep, physical activity and nutrition, to fill in before each appointment. Its oral health checklist asks if your child had a first dental check by age 1 (see our kids dental care guide), and squint tests start at 3 months. For eyesight once school starts, read our childhood myopia guide.

For toddlers aged 16 to 30 months, KKH has an online autism checklist, the M-CHAT-R/F. You fill it in yourself and take the result to your child's doctor.

Where to go and what it costs

You can go to a polyclinic or CHAS GP clinic, or pay to see a private paediatrician. MOH fully subsidises the seven screenings for Singapore Citizen children at polyclinics and CHAS GP clinics, and its fee cap at CHAS GPs is $0 from 1 Sep 2025. PR children aged 0 to 6 get subsidies at polyclinics. MOH's page covers no other clinics and no other children, so a private paediatrician, or a child who isn't a citizen or PR, pays the clinic's own fee.

MOH gives the CHAS GP subsidy to citizen children who attend screening according to national guidelines, so keep to the age windows. Our guide to choosing a paediatrician compares the three routes. HealthHub shows your child's past and upcoming vaccinations, and our guide to apps for new parents has more.

If a check finds something

• Hearing: after a failed repeat screen, SGH refers your baby to an ENT specialist, and an audiologist runs detailed hearing tests.
• Development or behaviour: KKH says a polyclinic doctor, GP or paediatrician can refer children aged 6 and below, or not yet in Primary 1, to KKH's Department of Child Development or NUH's Child Development Unit. NUH's unit sees children from birth to 7 years in Jurong West and Keat Hong. For a first KKH visit, plan on 2 to 2.5 hours.
• Eyes at preschool: HPB's yearly eye test refers children who may be short-sighted, or who can't pick out the 3D vision images, to HPB's Refraction Clinic.
• School age: HPB's Student Health Centre follows up children referred from school health visits.

If the doctors recommend therapy, government-funded early intervention is open to children under 7, ECDA says. Our early intervention guide covers the programmes and fees.

When to see a doctor

Don't wait for the next scheduled check if you notice any of these:

• Your child loses a skill they had, at any age. NUH's Child Development Unit lists any regression as a reason to seek help early.
• Your child uses one arm or leg more than the other, or gives limited or no eye contact, at any age (NUH).
• No startle to sudden sounds by 6 months, or no turning towards a sound at ear level by 9 months (NUH). SGH says hearing loss can develop after a passed newborn screen.
• No babbling, pointing or gestures by 12 months, or lost language skills (HPB's booklet addendum).
• A pupil that looks white or unusual, which may show up in photos, or an eye that often turns (HealthHub).
• White or brown spots on the teeth. The booklet says to book a dentist straight away.
• Poor weight gain or poor growth. KKH says your family doctor can treat this or refer you on.

Start with your usual doctor, who can refer your child to a specialist. Seizures, loss of consciousness and difficulty breathing are emergencies: go to KKH Children's Emergency or NUH Children's Emergency, or call 995, as KKH advises.

Frequently asked questions

When is the baby 6 month checkup in Singapore?

HealthHub puts it at 6 months, with a window of 6 to 12 months. HPB's addendum lists growth, feeding and three questions: can your baby roll over, turn towards a sound and reach for things? If any answer is no, the addendum asks you to tell the doctor, and jabs due around then can be given at the same visit.

Is a well baby check in Singapore free?

The seven developmental screenings are fully subsidised for Singapore Citizen children at polyclinics and CHAS GP clinics, and MOH caps the CHAS GP charge at $0. PR children get subsidies too, but only at polyclinics, while a private paediatrician charges its own fee.

How do I fill in the health booklet developmental check?

Open the checklist for your child's age and tick yes or no for each skill before the visit, as HealthHub asks. Bring the booklet and go through any no with the doctor.

Can I still do child developmental screening in Singapore if we missed the date?

Yes, book it inside the age window. HealthHub gives each touchpoint a range, such as 15 to 22 months for the 18-month check. MOH links the CHAS GP subsidy to screening done according to national guidelines, so ask the clinic about cost if you're outside the window.

Do I still need the paper Health Booklet if I use the HealthHub app?

Yes. HealthHub says to bring the hard copy so the doctor or nurse can record vaccines and results in it. The app works alongside the booklet, and you can log growth and see vaccinations in it. If you lose the booklet, HealthHub lists where to get a replacement, including KKH, NUH, SGH and NHG Polyclinics.