Well baby visits

Definition:

Pediatric well-baby visits are a critical part of childhood care. The examination is intended to assess the infant or young child's growth and development, recognize problems early and supply appropriate intervention, provide immunizations, instruct and educate the parents, and provide treatment for existing problems.

Information:

Preventive medicine is extremely important in childhood because it sets the stage for improved health and reduced disease risk as an adult. The typical well-baby visit will provide information about normal development, diet, general care, immunizations, the latest infectious diseases that are "going around", and other important advice and information for parents.

There are several possible schedules for routine well baby visits. The following is based on guidelines published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is important to recognize, however, that the timing of visits may be altered based on the special needs of an individual child and his or her family.

SUGGESTED SCHEDULE OF HEALTH SUPERVISION VISITS:

Prenatal - during the pregnancy
Neonatal - during the first 24 hours of life
At two weeks of life
1 month
2 months
4 months
6 months
9 months
1 year
15 months
18 months
2 years
3 years
Each year after that throughout childhood

Of course, visits and phone calls to a health care provider should be made any time a baby seems ill or whenever the parent is concerned about a baby's health or development.

A well-baby visit usually consists of questions for the parent about the infant's general health and development, followed by a physical examination. The examination includes measurements of length/height, weight and head circumference, vital signs, and a general physical examination.

Special attention is paid to whether the infant has met the normal developmental milestones. The height, weight and head circumference is recorded on a graph, which the physician keeps with the infant's chart. You may want to note the results of the well-baby examination in your own medical record for the baby. You also can keep your own graphs of the height, weight, and head circumference.

The well-baby examination is an ideal time to discuss concerns or questions with your health care provider. This may include special questions you have about immunizations, nutrition, growth and development, accident prevention and family related concerns. If you have important questions, it is a good idea to write them down before going for your well-baby visit -- you will save time and won't forget any of the questions you wanted to discuss.

RELATED TOPICS:

Physical examination:

Immunizations:

Nutrition:

Growth and development:

Preparing a child for an office visit is much like test and procedure preparation. See:

Review Date: 11/25/2001
Reviewed By: Jonathan Fanaroff, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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