new baby
health check
Coming home with your new baby is a wonderful feeling, but it’s only
natural to be a little anxious. Here’s a guide to what support is available,
and some of the health issues that may crop up in the early days
During your baby's first month, your midwife and health visitor
are responsible for looking after you and your newborn.
For the first 10 days or so, you’ll have regular home visits from your midwife. She may come
every day, but exactly how often she visits will depend on how well things are going. She’ll check
your baby’s cord stump and weigh him, and make notes in his Personal Child Health Record
(red book). She will also look after you – feeling your tummy to ensure your uterus is shrinking,
checking any stitches and taking your temperature. Over half of all newborns have some degree
of jaundice, and it’s usually nothing to worry about (but check with your midwife if you’re con-
erned). In most babies it disappears after a couple of days.
Your midwife will do a heel prick blood test, known as the Guthrie Test, which checks for
rare conditions such as cystic fibrosis in your baby.
Your care will now be taken over by your health visitor. She’ll visit you at home at first,
recording everything in your red book, and give you details of your local baby clinic
(probably in your GP surgery or health clinic). This is where you’ll take your baby to be
weighed and checked every week, and you should remember to take your red book with
you each time. She may also carry out a hearing test using a small earpiece inserted
into your baby’s ear.
As well as your weekly visits to the baby clinic, your health visitor or GP will ask you to attend
your six-week check, a postnatal physical examination. You’ll be asked how you’re feeling,
discuss contraception, have your blood pressure taken and possibly have a blood test to
check your iron levels
Your baby will be given a physical examination by your GP to check specific aspects of
development such as his heart, eyes, hips and genitals.
Your baby will have his first vaccinations – see the panel on the right or find out
more at
www.immunisation.nhs.uk
Your baby will have his second set of jabs at the end of this month. If he seems listless or
poorly afterwards, or runs a temperature, you can give him infant paracetamol (check with
your health visitor or pharmacist first).