As a new parent, you know what you’re looking for: trust and care, an open ear, clear communication, and a knack for knowing just what you and your child need. We’re not talking about finding the perfect mate but forming a great relationship with your child’s doctor.

Getting to Know You
In the first year alone, your baby will have well-child visits at one, two, four, six, nine, and 12 months. During ages one through three, these visits become a bit less frequent, and after age three, they are scheduled annually. This may seem like a lot. But remember, during these first few years everything—your child’s growth and development, as well as your relationship with your doctor—progresses quickly. So, you’ll need to see each other often.

A Typical Date
During these well-child visits, the doctor’s goal is to make sure your child is growing and healthy and to spot and address any problems or concerns. Generally, pediatricians have a standard routine to find this out:

• measurements of your child’s height, weight, and head circumference
• questions to track development, like: How is your child sleeping? When, what, and how often is your child eating? Is your baby cooing and laughing, or is your older child talking?
• a complete physical exam
• tests, if necessary, on blood, hearing, and vision
• immunizations—shots to protect your child from life-threatening diseases

Before You Go
It helps to make a list of your questions before you go so you don’t forget what you really want to know. (You also may want to prepare your older child before you go by reading books about visiting the doctor, playing doctor, or planning a fun activity for afterwards.)

Don’t Be Shy
You’ve got the doctor’s undivided attention, so now is the time to ask all your questions, such as:

• Can I spoil my baby?
• What foods should I give my child?
• When will my baby sleep through the night?
• When should I begin to set limits for my child’s behavior?
• My older child is biting. What should I do?

You may feel like you are investing a lot of time, but hopefully your child’s relationship with her pediatrician will last until she is old enough to choose a doctor of her own.

Special thanks to Chet Johnson, M.D, Harvey Karp, M.D., Nina Sazer O’Donnell, and Don Shifrin, M.D., for the generous donation of their valuable time and expertise in reviewing this edition of Bits of Understanding.

Civitas thanks Parents as Teachers, an international early childhood parent education and family support program, for their ongoing support. This Civitas tool was adapted for the Born Learning campaign.

© 2006 Civitas