The first two years of birth are a critical period of growth and development, therefore, from the 3rd to 5th days of birth, the doctor will arrange a series of intensive check up and examinations depending on the stage of development.If you feel that a series of tests is unmanageable and hectic, then feel free to refer to this article to check the contents, and the schedule of the checks which are organized specially for first-time parents.
Important Things to Note – What to expect during each check up
The routine of each examination of your baby will be thoroughly assessed by the physician to confirm the health of your baby. Here is what to expect during a doctor’s visit with your baby / toddler:
- Basic measurements
Measuring your baby’s height, weight and head circumference will be done and it will also be recorded. This is to ensure that your child is growing according to the growth curve and that there are no abnormalities.
- Development Test
An observation on your baby’s behavior will be conducted to determine if your baby has no possible illness.
- Psychological/Behavior Assessment
Your doctor will conduct a consultation and assess whether your baby has a mental state or behavior problem based on your baby’s movements and reactions.
- General Examination
There will be a general examination of your baby’s ears, eyes, mouth, skin, heart, lungs, abdomen, buttocks, legs and genitals. The doctor will continue to check the top of the baby’s head until the skull is completely closed.
Check Contents and Time Schedule
The following is the check-up schedule according to your baby’s age. Please be sure to bring your baby to a doctor during these times.
- 3~5 days old newborns
The first week after birth, the doctor will conduct a comprehensive examination of your baby, including metabolism and red blood cells count.
- 1 Month
Your baby’s vaccination will start this month. Physicians will also inject the inactive strain of tuberculosis bacillus on the baby’s arm for tuberculosis screening test.
- 2 Months
Your baby will receive Hepatitis B vaccine, Rotavirus, Diphtheria, Tetanus vaccine, Streptococcal pneumococcal vaccine, and Haemophilus type b vaccine. Doctors will combine some vaccines into 1 dose to reduce the number of needles in your baby, such as tetanus diphtheria non-cellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap), tetanus diphtheria non-cellular pertussis and Polio combined vaccine (Tdap-IPV), or diphtheria tetanus non-cellular pertussis and inactivated polio combination vaccine (DTaP-IPV).
- 4 Months
Your four month old baby will receive another blood test during this month and receive a second dose of rotavirus (RV), 5-in-1 vaccine (DTaP-Hib-IPV) and Streptococcal pneumococcal vaccine (PCV).
- 6 Months
This the 6th month, your baby will receive more vaccinations and start oral examination as baby is starting to grow his/her first tooth!
- 9 Months
During this month, the doctor may start asking questions about baby’s growth and behavior, and ask parents to play with their baby to observe their interaction with adults and conduct child development assessment.
- 12 Months
Continuation of Red blood cell test and hepatitis B vaccine, Streptococcal pneumococcal vaccine (PCV), inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), and measles, mumps, German measles mixed vaccine (MMR), etc.
- 15 Months
In addition to routine checkups, some additional vaccines will be added.
- 18 Months
This month, baby will undergo an Autism assessment to identify early symptoms of autism disorder (ASD) and access resources to help baby develop properly.
- 24 Months
Your baby will receive 4-valent conjugate meningitis vaccine (MCV4) and repeat some previous tests, such as red blood cells, tuberculosis screening, oral examination, etc.
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