Newborn Care
Newborn Care Begins From The Moment Your Baby Arrives
Our pediatricians understand the challenges of taking care of a newborn. They also provide the same gentle care they’d use for treating their family. If you’re pregnant, looking for a pediatrician, you can register to attend one of our monthly open house. Durning this visit you see our office and meet the physicians and ask any questions you may have.
Newborn Care FAQs
When does my newborn have their first checkup?
Your new baby has their first checkup within two weeks after leaving the hospital. They may also be evaluated within a few days of birth to ensure adequate feeding and to evaluate for jaundice.
Your newborn’s checkups are comprehensive exams to ensure sure they’re growing and developing normally. During the checkups, the pediatrician:
- Checks your baby’s weight, length, and head circumference
- Evaluates your baby’s feeding, bowel, and sleeping habits
- Does a physical examination, including an eye exam
- Performs a developmental evaluation
These visits also give parents time to ask questions about their baby, whether they’re not sure about how to bathe the baby, they have trouble with feeding, they’re worried about the baby’s sleep schedule, or any other concerns.
What screenings does newborn care include?
Your baby will have a blood test called the state newborn screen in the hospital and again in the office at the two-week visit. The goal of these tests is to identify and treat diseases early enough to prevent serious complications such as growth problems, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, blindness, deafness, and seizures.
Prior to discharge from the hospital, your newborn will also have screenings for hearing and heart defects.
What are well-child visits?
Well-child visits are ongoing checkups for children that follow a specific schedule. After the two-week newborn care visit, your newborn should see the pediatrician at one and two months.
During each visit, their pediatrician will evaluate their growth, developmental milestones, and behaviors. If your baby needs routine blood draws, they can also be done in the office.
Just like the two-week newborn care visit, every well-child checkup is an opportunity to talk with the pediatrician about baby care and your baby’s health and safety.
Your pediatrician also gives immunizations at the two-month visit to protect your baby from:
- Polio
- Hepatitis B
- Rotavirus
- Diphtheria
- Haemophilus Influenzae
- Pneumococcus
These immunizations are repeated several times over the first 18 months to be sure your infant is fully immunized against contagious diseases. Our physicians follow the vaccine schedule endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
