Pediatrician newborn care is critical to the health of your child. Early interventions and prevention will set your baby up for a lifetime of good health. Pediatrician newborn care helps your child to get off to a healthy start.
While it is always important to get child well checks throughout childhood, it is especially important that newborns receive health checks. Your baby is considered a newborn until about three months of age when they “graduate” to the infant stage. Pediatrician newborn care is essential to ensure that your baby gets the healthy start they deserve.
What Does the Pediatrician Look for During the Exam?
Before the pediatrician ever touches the baby, they are already making assessments. They look at the baby’s color, posture, and activity during the exam. The best pediatricians know exactly what to look for in a newborn to ensure no signs of illness.
The doctor will examine the baby’s head and check for shape, movement, and if there are any visible marks from the birthing process. The neck will also be examined for asymmetry and movement. A newborn’s neck is short, but they should have free range movement from side to side.
Every part of the newborn’s body is checked, including the eyes, belly, hips, legs, and feet. Reflexes are also checked during the exam. The doctor will note any inconsistencies found during the exam, which may implicate further testing.
Early Interventions
One of the most important reasons your child needs pediatrician newborn care is so that any issues are discovered early on and can be addressed through early interventions. For example, more than 95% of newborns have a hearing assessment. This important test can reveal hearing problems that would not have been detected otherwise. As much as three out of every 1,000 newborns are born with hearing loss. Early intervention to correct hearing problems can reduce the risk of developmental delays attributed to hearing loss.
The medical community knows that early interventions improve the treatment success rate. The sooner you know there is a problem, the sooner you can act and resolve the problem. Focused pediatrician care is how many problems are detected early on and corrected.
Get your baby off to a healthy start by choosing pediatrician newborn care that gives your baby the personalized attention they deserve.
