Your baby’s first well visit to the doctor is a most important time that helps to set you both on the path to good health.

Many things occur at that visit and the more you are prepared to take part in them, the more comfortable you will feel about the way you care for the new person in your life.  These are some things you can expect at that visit.

Your baby will be carefully weighed and measured. Attention to the size and shape of the head and the “soft spot” in the scalp will also be a part of the measurements.

This is a list of other portions of the first visit:

• The eyes will be checked to make sure they follow or “track” and object or light and the pupils will be observed for size and shape. A pinpoint of light will be shined into the pupil to determine if the lens of the eye is clear.
• Your baby will be stimulated with sound such as a bell or the clapping of hands to make sure that hearing is intact.
• The skin will be observed for color, rash or bumps of any kind.
• The heart and lungs will be listened to carefully for any unusual sounds.
• The belly button (umbilicus) will be examined for any evidence of a hernia and to make sure healing is occurring.
• The hips will be examined for any evidence of dislocation.
• Your doctor will carefully feel your baby’s belly for any unusual bulges or tenderness.
• Muscle resilience, reflexes and general reactions of your baby’s body to movement and position will all be tested to measure the ability of the nervous system to do its job properly. Part of this will assess the symmetry of movement and the strength of the muscle groups on each side of the body.

Of course there will be questions about bowel movements, spitting up and the amount and duration of each feeding.  
It is a good time to ask questions about sleep, fussy periods and visits from well wishers!

Generally no immunizations or tests of any kind are done at this first routine visit. So, as you can see, it may be routine but this first visit is a most important one to determine the initial health and stamina of your baby and to get you both ready for the many years that lie in front of you.

Related Tips

• Finding and choosing a pediatrician
• Finding the right pediatrician is not always an easy task.
• more

• Newborn reflexes
• Babies have special reflexes that last only a few months.
• more