Baby: Infant – Newborn – Toddler
What to look for in baby doctor

What to look for in baby doctor

Start with infant-specific qualifications A baby doctor should have training and clinical experience appropriate for infants. In many settings, this means a pediatrician, a physician whose specialty training focuses on children from birth through adolescence. A family physician may also provide excellent infant primary care, particularly when the clinician routinely sees newborns and has a […]

Following Up on Newborn Screening Results

Following Up on Newborn Screening Results

What Newborn Screening Is Designed to Do Newborn screening is a population-based public health service intended to identify infants who may be at increased risk for selected conditions. The exact panel varies by country, state, province, or territory, but programs commonly include blood-spot screening for inherited metabolic, endocrine, hemoglobin, or other disorders. Many locations also […]

Common medical tests for babies

Common medical tests for babies

Why babies have medical tests Medical tests in babies serve several purposes. Screening tests look for selected conditions in infants who appear well, because some metabolic, endocrine, genetic, hearing, or cardiac disorders may not cause immediate visible symptoms. Early identification can allow timely treatment, monitoring, or referral and may reduce the risk of serious complications. […]

How doctors evaluate development

How doctors evaluate development

Developmental surveillance begins with the clinical history Developmental surveillance is the continuous process of gathering information about a child’s emerging abilities and wellbeing. At each visit, the clinician may ask what the baby can do, whether skills are appearing over time, and how the child communicates needs. The discussion usually covers several domains: gross motor […]

What percentiles mean for babies

What percentiles mean for babies

What a growth percentile actually represents A growth percentile places one measurement in relation to measurements from a reference group. For example, if a baby’s weight is at the 25th percentile, approximately 25 percent of comparable babies in the reference population weigh less, while approximately 75 percent weigh more. A baby at the 90th percentile […]

When growth is a concern

When growth is a concern

Growth is a pattern, not a single number Clinicians assess growth by plotting serial measurements of weight, recumbent length, and head circumference on standardized charts. For infants and young children, weight-for-age, length-for-age, and weight-for-length each answer different questions. A baby may be constitutionally small but proportionate, while another may have an appropriate length but a […]

Growth measurements in babies explained

Growth measurements in babies explained

What clinicians measure and why Routine infant growth assessment focuses on three primary anthropometric measurements: body weight, recumbent length, and head circumference. Together, they provide complementary information. Weight reflects the combined effects of fluid balance, nutritional intake, tissue growth, and recent illness. Length reflects skeletal growth and is less affected by short-term changes in hydration. […]

Transferring Baby Medical Records to a New Practice

Transferring Baby Medical Records to a New Practice

Why a Complete Transfer Matters Medical records are more than a summary of diagnoses. For an infant, they form a longitudinal record of perinatal events, growth, feeding, development, preventive care, and responses to previous evaluations. A complete chart can help the new clinician interpret current findings in context and make appropriate decisions about monitoring and […]

How to track baby health records

How to track baby health records

Begin with a core health record Set up the record before leaving the birth setting or as soon as possible afterward. Include the baby’s full name, date and time of birth, birth weight and length, gestational age, blood type if documented, newborn screening results, hearing screening results, congenital conditions identified by clinicians, and any procedures […]

What happens at newborn checkup

What happens at newborn checkup

When the first newborn checkup takes place The first outpatient visit is often scheduled shortly after discharge, commonly within the first few days of life. The timing is individualized. A baby discharged early, a baby with feeding concerns, or a baby who has not yet had a complete screening sequence may need assessment sooner. Babies […]