Why You Need a Pediatrician for Newborn Care

Why You Need a Pediatrician for Newborn Care

A pediatrician is an expert at diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions in children, including newborns. A pediatrician is a valuable resource to answer your questions and address your concerns about your newborn’s health.

The First Newborn Visit

Your first newborn visit should happen within 2 to 5 days of birth. During this first newborn visit, your pediatrician will:

• Perform a comprehensive physical examination of your newborn, checking for medical issues or concerns
• Record measurements of length, weight, and other information to use as a baseline to check your baby’s ongoing growth and development
• Answer questions and discuss overall health, feeding, bathing, changing, sleeping, and other newborn care information with you
• Provide the first doses of immunizations your baby needs to help prevent illnesses and diseases

What You Need To Know About Newborn Care

These are some helpful tips to remember when you care for your newborn during the first few weeks:

• Feeding–your newborn will want to feed every 2 to 3 hours if you are breastfeeding, or every 3 to 4 hours if you are feeding your newborn formula
• Sleeping–your newborn will sleep at least 16 hours a day in the beginning–always place your newborn on his or her back to sleep, to help your baby breathe easier
• Diaper changes–your newborn’s stool will be black at first, changing to dark green, and then to yellow
• Bathing–bathe your baby with only mild soap and lukewarm water, and gently clean the folds of skin, where bacteria can hide

Want To Know More?

To find out more about newborn care and how your pediatrician can help, call our pediatricians at Bethany Pediatrics in Ellicott City, MD. We proudly serves residents of Ellicott City, Columbia, Woodstock, Frederick, West Friendship, River Hill, Clarksville, Sykesville, Pikesville, Catonsville, Laurel, Hanover, Baltimore and other surrounding Maryland Cities. You can reach the office by calling (410) 465-7337, so call today.