Commentary by Claire Boogaard, MD, MPH, FAAP
Published November 2022

After parents bring their baby home from the hospital for the first time, it is not uncommon for them to start coming up with a list of questions about their new baby: Should my baby be sleeping this long? What is this rash? Are these spit-ups normal? The baby is continuously growing and interacting with the world; understanding typical and atypical development at this stage is crucial for parents to build confidence and provide appropriate assessment of their baby. Therefore, during the first 6 months after birth, parents are encouraged to bring their infants in regularly for well visits. In this section, we will review the purpose of each visit and the role the pediatrician plays during this crucial time in an infant’s life.

Well-baby visits should always be centered around the concerns of the parents. In addition, generally, it is important to cover these other topics during the first months of infancy.

Keywords: first visits; hearing loss; metabolic screening; circumcision; hyperbilirubinemia; newborn weight loss; safe sleep; SIDS; birthmarks