The Importance of Newborn Care

Having a baby can be a joyful but very stressful event. Especially if it is a first child, it can make you feel very insecure about what exactly newborn care entails. The pediatricians at Decatur Pediatric Group offer newborn care in Clarkston, GA. They also have offices in Lithonia and Smyrna to provide more care to residents of this area.

Newborn care is a combination of the care provided by caregivers and examinations given by a pediatrician. Newborns need to be fed, changed, kept warm, and feel loved. These are the things that parents provide. Feeding is probably the one that causes the most stress to mothers. Especially nursing mothers may be anxious about how much food the baby is actually getting. This is where the pediatrician visit comes in.

First Pediatric Visit

Your pediatrician will see the baby in the hospital shortly after their birth. This examination will be thorough, and it is recommended that a vitamin K shot be administered as well as erythromycin ointment be applied to both eyes and a Hepatitis B injection. The baby will be examined from head to toe and measured and weighed. 

The first office visit will usually take place a few days after you bring the baby home from the hospital. Your baby will be examined, weighed, and you will be asked if you are having any concerns. This is the time to bring up any concerns you have about feeding, sleeping, how often the baby is pooping, your concern about black poop, the umbilical cord stump, and anything else you are worried about. 

The baby's weight is an important gauge of how well breastfeeding or bottle feeding is going. If the baby is losing weight, this can be addressed right away. 

One Month Visit

At a month, newborn care will begin to involve developmental milestones. Babies at this point gain about a 1/2 pound per week, and they grow about an inch per month. You will be able to see where your child is compared to other children of one month. If they are not thriving, this is where it can be addressed and the cause determined. It may require the addition of a formula to supplement breastfeeding or a change of formula. Vaccinations will also start at either one month or two months.

Newborn care will get your baby on the road to lifelong good health, and it is important that every child get the care they need.

Contact Decatur Pediatric Group when you need newborn care in Clarkston, GA, or at our offices in Lithonia and Smyrna. You can book an appointment at any of our offices at (404) 296-7133.