
She will also check your infant's eyes, ears, and mouth and listen to the heart and lungs. The doctor will make sure that the fontanels (soft spots on your baby's head) are closing properly. "The first year is such a crucial time, and we want to make sure that babies are on track and doing everything that they should be." "I examine every baby from head to toe," Altmann says. Here's what you can expect during well-baby checkups.ĭuring each visit, the doctor will measure your infant's weight, length, and head circumference. Later visits typically happen at 2 weeks and at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months of age, she says. Tanya Answers Parents' Top 101 Questions About Babies and Toddlers. She's a clinical instructor at Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA and author of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Mommy Calls: Dr. The first exam should be 24 to 48 hours after your newborn leaves the hospital, says pediatrician Tanya Remer Altmann, MD, FAAP. During well-baby visits, your pediatrician will check for proper growth and development and answer your questions about eating, sleeping, and vaccinations.

To schedule your child's next well-child visit or to enroll your child with a primary care manager, call 255-7000.In your baby's first year, every month brings changes: tiny smiles, budding teeth, and eventually, crawling and walking. "We want parents who may often feel they take on more of the child care responsibility, such as during deployments or heavy training schedules, to know they are not alone and that we are here for them." "These appointments are also unique because it helps us monitor the health of the Family, especially with the unique challenges Families face in the Army," Berry said. The well-child visit also helps parents know where their child stands developmentally and how they will progress. "Identifying a problem early helps to improve chances of recovery or correction of the problem." "A trend of small weight percentiles is much more reassuring than a new patient with minimal weight gain for his or her age," he said. Well-child visits are not just for immunizations rather these visits help to differentiate a trend from an absolute problem, Berry said. Some will include vision and hearing exams, anemia screening and immunizations.
WELL BABY VISITS FULL
"As any parent knows, your baby changes and develops so much and so rapidly during this period, from a newborn, who sleeps and eats all day, to the toddler, who is exploring their world faster than you are ready for."Įven for seasoned parents who already have children, bringing a new baby into the world means he or she will have unique medical experiences, Berry said.Īlthough LAHC is not able to deliver babies, all newborns should be enrolled to their primary care manager within 45 days of birth.Īll well-child checkups consist of a full exam, growth evaluation and developmental assessment. "This seems like a lot of visits, but these well-child visits are absolutely imperative for the monitoring of your child's growth and development," said Capt. These visits should occur three to five days after birth, two to four weeks old, two months, four months, six months, nine months, 12 months, 15 months and 18 months old.

Army Medical Command and Lyster Army Health Clinic recommend nine well-child visits during the first 18 months of life. (August 29, 2013) - The American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S.
