Welcome to All is Well Wednesdays!
Each Wednesday we will be highlighting a well visit starting with the very first newborn visit all the way through adolescence to adulthood. That’s over 30 routine visits alone! Well visits are important part of monitoring the health and well-being of all patients. While every patient is unique and no two visits will be the same, the intent of this post is to give a general idea of what will happen at each visit. These were originally published on our social media. Today, we will revisit the newborn visit.
Week 1: Newborn
Your first visit usually happens within 24-48 hours after hospital discharge. You will register your little one (www.shultspediatrics.com) and make your appointment before being discharged. You’ll arrive at the office perhaps after spending your first night at home with very little sleep. We will start with a thorough history. The hospital will send much of that information with you in a paper report. Bringing that with you will save you some time in the office.
The nurse will take you back to a room and complete the history and measure (length, weight, head circumference) the baby. Sometimes, parents are worried by the percentiles (where the baby is compared to 100 other babies of the same age) and what they mean. I often say, “Everybody falls on the chart somewhere. What matters is how the child compares to him/herself.” The provider (Dr. Stephanie Shults, Dr. Tina Bullen, or Nurse Practitioner Sarah Jones) will review the history and complete a full physical exam and answer any questions you may have. Whether this is your first baby or your fifth, each experience is unique and has its own challenges and joys. The first days are dedicated to getting to know one another, establishing feeding, healing, and bonding. We are here to support you during this time and throughout your journey. Thank you for choosing us.
Labs: Sometimes, we will need to check bilirubin levels if your baby is jaundice and/or has other risk factors, such as loss of more than 10% of birth weight, is not feeding well, increased lethargy, had an elevated bilirubin in the hospital. This is done by a heel stick and we will have the results typically within a few hours.
Immunizations: None. A majority of infants get their first hepatitis B vaccine at the hospital. We will start routine vaccines at the 2 month visit.
Next routine well visit: 3 weeks old.
Baby will have first immunizations at the 2 month visit. Do not give any acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) before this time. Call the pediatrician immediately for any fever (temp >100.4) or other concerns.