Child Health

Enhanced 18-Month Well Baby Visit

Key Messages
Overall Results
Trends Over Time
By Deprivation
Technical Notes

Key Messages

In 2021, over half (56.2%) of young children between 12 to 24 months in Simcoe Muskoka visited a family physician or pediatrician for an enhanced 18-month well-baby visit, which was similar to Ontario.
Enhanced 18-month well-baby visits have increased in Simcoe Muskoka between 2011 and 2019 and decreased in 2020. This decrease can be attributed, at least in part, to changes in health care use and access during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Children who live in areas with the highest amount of material deprivation had lower rates of enhanced 18-month well-baby visits in the most recent 5-year period (2017-2021) compared with those living in areas with the least amount of material deprivation.

Overall Results

In 2021, 56.2% (55.0%, 57.5%) of young children between 12 to 24 months old in Simcoe Muskoka visited a family physician or pediatrician for an enhanced 18-month well-baby visit, similar to 55.0% (54.7%, 55.3%) of young children in Ontario.

Trends Over Time

The enhanced 18-month well-baby visit rate significantly decreased in 2020 (by at least 10% relative to 2019) in both Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario as a whole. This sudden decrease can be attributed, at least in part, to changes in health care use and access during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the enhanced 18-month well-baby visit rate significantly increased compared with 2020 but remained lower than in 2019 in Simcoe Muskoka and in Ontario.

Prior to 2020, the enhanced 18-month well-baby visit rate increased between 2011 and 2015 and stabilized between 2015 and 2019 in Simcoe Muskoka and in Ontario. The enhanced 18-month well-baby rates increased at a faster rate in Simcoe Muskoka compared with Ontario between 2011 and 2017. The rates were similar in Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario between 2018 and 2019.

Proportion of Children Receiving 18 month well-baby Visit

By Deprivation

For the 5-year period from 2017 to 2021 (combined), Simcoe Muskoka residents living in areas with the highest amount of material deprivation (as measured by the 2016 Ontario Marginalization Index) had significantly less enhanced 18-month well-baby visits when compared with those living in areas with the least amount of material deprivation.

18 Month Well-baby Visit by Deprivation

Technical Notes

An enhanced well-baby visit refers to services rendered when a physician performs all of the following for a child aged 17-24 months: a) services defined as “well baby care”; b) an 18-month age-appropriate developmental screen; and c) review with the patient’s guardian on a brief standardized tool that aids in the identification of children at risk of development disorder.

Trends over time were analyzed using annual percent change and average annual percent change, determined using Joinpoint Regression Program (version 4.9.1)*.

* Reference: Joinpoint Regression Program, Version 4.9.1; Statistical Methodology and Applications Branch, Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute.