Baby Health Checkup

There are many new responsibilities when you have a baby. One of them is to make sure that your baby gets regular checkups, which are also called well-baby exams. These exams are important in making sure that your baby is growing and developing properly. If there are any problems, they can be caught early, when they may be easier to treat. Your baby's health care provider will let you know how often your baby should get a checkup.

During these checkups, the provider will give your baby a complete physical exam, which includes:

• Checking your baby's height and weight
• Looking at their head, ears, nose, and mouth
• Listening to their heart and lungs
• Testing their hearing and vision (for some visits)
• Checking their reflexes

The provider will ask you about your baby's development. For example, they may ask when the baby started smiling and rolling over. During certain visits, the provider will do developmental and behavioral screening tests.

The provider will use all of this information from the visit to check if your baby is meeting important developmental milestones.

Your baby will also get any needed vaccines and screenings during the exam. And you can ask the provider any questions you might have about how to care for your baby.

You can prepare for your baby's checkups by:

• Making a list of issues and questions you want to discuss with the provider
• Being prepared to answer questions about your baby's behavior and eating and sleeping habits
• Being ready to take notes at the visit

In addition to these checkups, you can contact the provider any time if your baby seems sick or if you are worried about their development.