Rob Winningham, MD, Pediatrician with Sherwood Family Medical Center
At Baptist Health, we want you to know that your pediatrician is your partner in the well-being and healthcare of your baby. Since you know your child best, pediatricians rely on your observations and questions to understand when your baby needs help and how they are developing.
There is no hard and fast rule for how often you should visit your pediatrician. In fact, we know that the support that each parent and child needs is different. We encourage parents to bring children to visit their pediatricians whenever they need to.
However, here are some helpful guidelines:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that parents bring their children in to their pediatrician 7 times between the ages of 1 and 4 for wellness visits.
- As each child is different, know that your child may need more visits than others.
- Baptist Health has many resources to help you navigate symptoms your baby may be exhibiting, like: identifying rashes, developmental milestones and other information about your child.
During the first year, your baby will need to visit the pediatrician regularly. Although this schedule may vary from pediatrician to pediatrician, we recommend that your baby’s first visit is about 3-5 days after birth.
The following appointments would ideally take place in months 1, 2, 4, 6, 9. These visits will consist of your pediatrician conducting a full exam and testing behavioral responsiveness, reflexes, skin tone and hip stability. They may also take measurements and weigh your baby at each visit to chart your baby’s growth. Another important part of the visit is the physical exam where the pediatrician will check your baby’s eyes, ears, heart, lungs, genitalia, etc.
After this, Baptist Health recommends a wellness visit during the following:
- 12 months
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 24 months
- 30 months
- 3 years
- 4 years
We want you to find a pediatrician that is your partner in the journey of motherhood. Request an appointment with a Baptist Health pediatrician today.