Introduction
You and your baby need to see your health care providers regularly during your baby’s first 6 months.
Here you will also find information about your baby’s first health checkups, including visits with your family physician, well child clinic visits, immunizations, and hearing screening. Your baby will receive their first immunization when they’re 2 months old.
Recommended checkups
You and your baby need to see your health care providers regularly during your baby’s first 6 months. The health care providers you’ll most commonly see at this age will be your family physician and your public health nurse. These visits will help support your baby’s growth and development and your family’s health and adjustment to parenting.
Health care providers will:
- ask how your baby is feeding
- check your baby’s general health and development
- measure your baby’s weight, length and head size
- track how much your baby has grown from one visit to the next on a growth chart
Healthy growth is different for each child. Your baby will follow a growth pattern that’s right for them. Children come in different shapes and sizes—they may be taller or shorter or heavier or lighter than others the same age. Things that affect a child’s growth include their eating and activity habits, the environment and their genes. The growth pattern over time is more important than just one measurement.
Learn more about health checkups to keep children healthy and safe at any age.
What do the numbers mean?
If your baby’s weight and height are plotted on the growth chart at the 25th percentile, it means that out of 100 babies who are the same age, 25 are smaller than your baby and 75 are bigger.
Well child clinic visit
Your baby will have their first well child clinic visit and receive their first immunization when they’re 2 months old. Immunizations give your baby the best possible chance of staying healthy. To find out how to book your baby’s immunization appointment, talk with your health care provider, call Health Link at 811, or visit Alberta Health Services – Book an immunization appointment.
Learn more about immunizations.
During your clinic visit, your public health nurse will also check things such as your baby’s growth and how they’re feeding. They will also ask how you’re doing, offer to screen you for postpartum depression, answer any questions you may have, and provide you with information about other parenting supports in your community. Learn more about public health nurses.
To find a community or public health centre near you, call Health Link at 811 or visit Alberta Health Services – Know Your Options.
Newborn hearing screening
You’ll be offered to have your baby screened for permanent hearing loss soon after birth, often before you have left your birth centre. As your baby grows, permanent hearing loss can affect speech, language and learning skills. Even though your baby may respond to some sounds, they may not hear well enough to fully develop speech and language. Have your baby’s hearing checked early so that support and care can be given if needed.
Newborn hearing screening is offered in many hospitals and community or public health centres. If your baby wasn’t screened before you left your birth centre, your health care providers will refer you to a screening site or give you information on how to book an appointment. It is important to have your baby screened before they are 1 month old.
Screening will not hurt your baby and can be done while they’re quiet or sleeping. During the screening test, sounds will be played into your baby’s ears and a computer will measure how well your baby hears the sounds. If your baby does not pass their screening, they will be referred for another hearing test to confirm or rule out hearing loss.
For more information about newborn hearing screening and where it is offered, visit Alberta Health Services – Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program.