1. Introduction
It may seem a little excessive, but a regular schedule of care is all part of the package when you take on the responsibility of caring for a little one. You will need to take her to see a series of pediatricians for regular check-ups and vaccinations. When she gets a little older, a family doctor will take over this part of her health care. In the meantime, there are some steps you should take and signs to look for that will help her stay healthy. There is so much going on inside your baby as she grows that she will need a little help from the outside to help ensure she grows up into a strong, healthy child. It is during the first few years of her life that the foundation of her health is established. This includes good eating habits, proper exercise, and rest. There are several different areas that you should be aware of that can have an impact on her health and development at an early age.
Your baby’s first doctor’s appointment starts on the day you bring her home. Just being around the doctor’s office will help calm your fears and boost your parenting confidence. Plus, nothing can raise more concern for your baby’s health than actually seeing a professional look after her. And then when the examination is over, you can relax a little and have your mind put at ease when the doctor tells you everything is just fine. First and foremost, these first few visits are crucial. They involve much more than simply checking on the status of her physical health. Your baby is developing fast and she’ll be spending a lot of time at the doctor’s office in the first few years of her life. This schedule ensures that she stays healthy, grows properly, and is developing cognitively.
1.1. Purpose of Newborn Check-Ups
In addition to examining the current condition of the baby, newborn check-ups are also about supporting the new parents in their new role. Parents can ask the pediatrician any questions they may have about their baby’s health and development. This means that should any problem arise, pharmaceutical intervention can occur as quickly as possible in order to ameliorate the issue. These evaluations are performed to help the baby grow up healthy and strong.
A number of tests and evaluations are recommended within the first few days of a baby’s life. Some of these tests are required by law to ensure detection and proper handling of serious health problems such as congenital heart disease, paired sensory organs such as the ears and eyes, hypothyroidism, and others. These interventions are essential for maintaining the already inherent health and safety risks of the baby. Without proper supervision and testing, these deliriums could lead to catastrophic consequences for the baby.
2. Physical Health
Once past the initial evaluation, regular check-ups are needed to monitor your baby’s physical development and to maintain good health. These check-ups are important because your baby’s body and brain are growing very rapidly in the first year. Major physical milestones are monitored during this timeframe, and iron deficiency anemia and immunizations are addressed. Depending upon the rate of physical development, you can see the doctor as often as every 3 months to monitor your baby’s rapid changes. By the time your baby is 1 year old, he or she would have had six doctor visits to monitor the important physical milestones. This is considered the primary schedule in the United States. Your doctor will also explain what to watch for in the case of any physical injuries. With some baby-proofing, accidents can be drastically reduced.
The next step in ensuring your baby’s health and development is physical health. Newborn screening is the first step to evaluating your newborn’s physical condition. This is performed hours after birth. In this crucial test, a small sample of blood is taken from your baby’s foot, and it is sent out to the state’s newborn screening program laboratory. This procedure is almost universal in the United States and is a requirement for leaving some hospitals with your baby. The second part of the newborn check-up is usually done within 24 to 48 hours of birth in the hospital or within the first 2 weeks at the pediatrician’s office. This check-up evaluates the baby’s weight, length, head circumference, reflexes, muscle tone, and other physical signs of health.
2.1. Monitoring Growth and Development
Other important aspects that will be monitored include muscle tone, front to back head control, hand-eye coordination, and response to sound and light. Social and language development will also be important – the provider will ask specific questions about visual and auditory response, noises, vision, and strength in the age range of 3 weeks, 4 months, and 6 months because the development of these responses help ensure there isn’t a hearing/vision problem in your baby’s future.
Weight Weight is the most commonly monitored health status indicator in both children and adults. Rapid weight gain in childhood – especially during the first couple of years – can be associated with later obesity. If your baby is not gaining the proper amount of weight, it can be an indicator of multiple health conditions including overfeeding of formula, genetic disorders, pituitary hormone deficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, malnutrition, Down syndrome, pediatric cancer, pediatric hepatic disease, protein-losing enteropathy, and even more!
Height or Length Besides showing your baby’s growth, it can also predict their final adult height. A growth delay in the first two years of life can be a sign of a number of serious medical conditions including being born pre-term, Down syndrome, heart failure, malnutrition, chronic renal (kidney) disease, pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, and pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus.
Head Circumference Head circumference – aka, measuring the size around your baby’s head. It is a great indicator of brain growth (especially when compared to height) and can help detect conditions such as microcephaly (small head size) and lissencephaly. Large head circumferences can indicate hydrocephalus or benign familial macrocephaly.
Your pediatrician will monitor your baby’s growth and development to ensure your baby is getting enough food and nutrients and achieving developmental milestones! We will record this progress on a growth chart. Specifically, we will look at:
3. Vaccinations and Preventive Care
These check-ups are also an opportunity for the doctor or nurse to discuss each stage of a baby’s life and allows parents to share with and confide in the doctor. The recommended vaccination schedule is presented in Michele Kettles’ document (under infant feeding topics). Your baby will be vaccinated against a number of illnesses – diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, rotavirus, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, pneumococcus, influenza, and hepatitis A. Before 3 months of age, the child’s parent has already signed a consent sheet for all medical treatment. Later, the parent has to sign a consent sheet for each vaccination. To enhance parental trust, some pediatricians display board certifications. Always be patient and tell your baby that you love it immediately after the shots.
At your baby’s well baby checks and during immunizations, the doctor will try to catch any problems that are already present with your baby or anticipate any future needs. Many problems that are caught early and resolved can be prevented from happening in the future. Keeping these well baby appointments with your baby’s primary care provider will ensure your child early and thorough care. Many pediatricians obtain CBC (complete blood counts) in the first week to rule out critical congenital heart disease. At the one- and two-week baby visits, CBC is combined with bili (bilirubin level) to detect jaundice early.
4. Cognitive and Emotional Development
The importance of regular newborn check-ups cannot be underestimated. If your newborn grows up to be a healthy child and adult, they will thank you for it. Moreover, regular check-ups will promote the early developmental changes/reflexes in babies – these need to be monitored responsibly if we want to pick up on any delayed developmental changes. This is important in order to maximize the neuro-cognitive development of babies and to ensure that these babies grow and develop into well-rounded individuals.
Unfortunately, a number of newborns have either an undiagnosed congenital anomaly or they may have genetic or metabolic disease. It is essential that you have regular newborn check-ups with your family pediatrician so that any such condition can be diagnosed early. In turn, early diagnosis means that you can seek early treatment. Screening tests are essential in ensuring the early detection of any illness. If a baby is suffering from jaundice, it may follow that he or she will not feed as well. Incorporating regular check-ups into your baby’s routine ensures that any illness will be detected early and, as a result, treated promptly.
Keeping your newborn healthy needs to be your top priority. That is why you should make regular newborn check-ups with your family pediatrician, one of your top priorities. It has been proven that regular newborn check-ups with a family pediatrician can not only keep sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at bay, but can also ensure that your baby grows up to be a healthy adult. If you are a new or soon-to-be parent, you may not know that newborn check-ups do not just keep your baby healthy in the here and now, but they are also very important in ensuring that your baby develops correctly both physically and psychologically.
5. Conclusion
The standard check-up schedule at the beginning is at birth, which is monitored by the initial nurses in the hospital. After that, check-ups are usually scheduled for the duration of two weeks, and then at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 9 months. After he turns 1, he should have a check-up every year. Vaccinations, if needed, are also given during these check-ups. The check-ups are obviously very important to keep the baby in perfect health. After all, they cannot tell us if they feel bad yet. Going for these check-ups can help locate any potential problems such as allergies, congenital disorders, irregular heart rhythm, asthma, and dyslexia, even before they can cause harm or discomfort to our little ones.
There is a saying that goes “Prevention is better than cure.” That’s the importance of regular newborn check-ups. The minute regular check-ups are missed, there is a chance that something might be wrong with the little one, and you would never know. Regular check-ups allow the doctor to monitor the baby’s development closely. He will be able to pick up any irregularities quickly, before it can pose a problem to the baby. It is also a chance for new parents to learn more about the basics of baby care and to ask questions.
Curious to learn more? Visit us for details
As we journey through the wondrous adventure of childhood, Matney Pediatrics invites you to experience a level of care that’s as exceptional as your child. In a sea of clinics and hospitals where your child might see a nurse practitioner or general doctor, we promise something unique: every visit with Dr. Matney, a board-certified pediatrician dedicated solely to children’s health.
Envision a haven where cutting-edge medical expertise meets a warm, familial atmosphere. At Matney Pediatrics, our seasoned team, many of whom have been with Dr. Matney for years, creates a welcoming, kid-friendly environment where you and your child feel like part of our extended family. With profound expertise in baby, toddler, and child development, and specialized care for ADHD, autism, and other developmental disorders, Dr. Matney ensures that your child receives personalized, top-tier care.
Dr. Matney’s commitment transcends the clinic; he personally attends to sick patients in the hospital and provides newborn care at Victor Valley Global Medical Center. Championing the values of a privately-owned, full-service solo practice, he guides parents through critical decisions on vaccinations, newborn care, and more, with the latest information and heartfelt support.
So, are you ready to embark on a journey where your child’s health and happiness are our highest priorities? Connect with us at Matney Pediatrics and discover a pediatric care experience that’s as unique and extraordinary as your child. Together, let’s create a foundation for a bright and healthy future.
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