Newborn Routine Checkups

In the first weeks after birth, your baby begins a series of exams by a doctor, sometimes called well-child visits. Doctors have individual approaches to the timing of these appointments. Newborns normally have their first office appointment scheduled 3 to 5 days after they go home from the hospital. During one or more of these routine visits, your baby will have:

• Length, weight, and head circumference measurements were taken. These measurements are plotted on a growth chart and are compared to previous and later markings to make sure the baby is growing as expected.
• A physical exam. The doctor examines your baby thoroughly for any problems. The doctor also assesses the baby’s reflexes and general development and observes how you and your baby interact. You are asked questions about how the baby and the rest of the family are doing, how the baby is eating and sleeping, and whether you have noticed any changes in behavior.
• Immunizations. Individual and series immunizations are started or continued at these well-child visits. Your doctor will provide you with a schedule so that you know how many injections to expect at each visit.

WebMD. (2009, March 19). Retrieved from http://children.webmd.com/tc/growth-and-development-newborn-routine-checkups