As a new parent, you know your infant is growing and developing rapidly during his or her first few months after delivery. This may leave you wondering when you should be seeing your pediatrician for your baby’s checkups. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends to schedule your baby’s checkups at birth, 3 to 5 days after birth and then at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 24 months. At HealthPark Pediatrics, you have an experienced medical partner working with you to ensure you’re setting up your newborn for a healthy and happy future.
Every Appointment
During your baby’s checkups in our clinic, you can expect several basic steps to monitor growth and progress. This includes measuring your baby’s total length, weight, and head circumference, and going over their growth charts. A review of your baby’s birth history or what’s been happening since you were last in, plus a complete physical exam is performed at each checkup including nutrition and developmental histories.
To cover behavioral and developmental aspects of your infant’s health, we’ll speak to you about your baby’s typical actions, reactions, or changing habits. Your doctor will also engage and watch your infant explore their developmental milestones, often through fun play! Your baby’s checkups may include important developmental screening tools to get parental input as to how things are going. We will discuss what we’ve found at the visit and what to expect before your next visit too, developmentally, nutritionally, and with growth.
At Birth
- Hearing Screening: This test is just to make sure your baby’s hearing is good and no hearing loss is detected.
- Metabolic/Hemoglobin Screening: This heel-prick blood test checks for sickle-cell disease, hypothyroidism, or other inherited disorders.
- Immunizations: Hepatitis B
3-5 Days After Birth
- Visit our blog on everything to expect during your baby’s first check-up here.
- Your baby’s pediatrician will make sure growth is on track and a physical exam will be performed.
1 Month
- All measurements will be taken and a physical exam will be performed.
- These two might happen at the one month of two-month check-up:
- Tuberculosis test
- Immunizations: Second dose of the hepatitis B vaccine
2 Months
- All measurements will be taken and a physical exam will be performed.
- Immunizations: During baby’s checkups at two months, they will receive the second dosage of the hepatitis B vaccine (if they haven’t received it already), rotavirus vaccine (RV) (there are 2-3 doses given between 2-6 months), diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP), the Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (Hib), the pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) and the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV).
4 Months
- Your baby’s checkups will include a pediatrician who will make sure growth is on track and a physical exam will be performed. From here on out, this will be performed during everyone of your baby’s checkups.
- Hemoglobin Screening: The doctor may choose to perform this test to detect anemia
- Immunizations: They will receive a second dose of RV, DTaP, Hib, PCV, and IPV.
6 Months
- All measurements will be taken and a physical exam will be performed.
- Tests that could happen at the 6-month check-up depending on the baby’s needs:
- Lead screening, tuberculosis test, and/or oral health check if they have their first tooth.
- Immunizations: Third doses of DTaP, PCV, and possibly Hib. They will need a third dose of IPV between 6-18 months and they can also receive the final hepatitis B dosage between 6-18 months.
9 Months
- Developmental Screening: Your child’s pediatrician will assess their growth and behavior to make sure they are learning and growing at a normal rate. These results will help determine whether your baby should receive more developmental testing.
- Immunizations: They could receive the final hepatitis B dosage if they haven’t already, as well as the third dose of the IPV if they didn’t receive it at 6 months.
12 Months
- Immunizations: Final hepatitis B dosage (if they haven’t received it yet), possibly the third or fourth dose of Hib (between now-15 months), the fourth dose of PCV (also between now-15 months), a third dose of IPV (if they haven’t gotten it yet), the first dose of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) (between now-15 months), the varicella vaccine (between now-15 months), and the hepatitis A vaccine (first dose to be given between now-23 months).
- Screening: Hemoglobin screening
15 Months
- Immunizations: These are the immunizations your baby will need if they haven’t received them yet: hepatitis B, Hib, PCV, IPV, MMR, varicella and hepatitis A. They will also need their fourth dose of DTaP between now-18 months.
18 Months
- Immunizations: They will receive hepatitis B, DTaP, IPV, and hepatitis A only if they haven’t already.
- Screening: Your child’s pediatrician checks for signs of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
24 Months
- Immunizations: They should be all caught up on immunizations by 2 years.
For More Information
At HealthPark Pediatrics, the health and safety of our staff and patients is our top concern. Expectant parents who choose our practice can schedule their baby’s checkups within the first 1-2 days after arriving home from the hospital. The next appointments are generally scheduled at 3 weeks, then 2, 4 and 6 months. From there, appointments will be a little more spaced out at 9, 12, 15, 18 and 24 months before transitioning to annual well-child visits. Give our office a call at (919) 896-7066 for more questions about baby’s checkups or to talk to a team member and make an appointment.
