Newborn Care
Your newborn baby goes through many developmental changes during their first year of life. Experienced pediatrician Eric Dodson, DO, at All Ages Pediatrics PC in Ottumwa, Iowa, provides comprehensive newborn care. During those first 12 months of your baby’s life, he closely monitors your baby’s growth, development, and health. He also provides you with the tools and support you need to help your baby thrive. To schedule a newborn care appointment, call the office or book online today.
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Allergy Q & A
What is newborn care?
Your newborn baby goes through many changes during their first year of life. Newborn care refers to the ongoing medical monitoring of your baby throughout those first 12 months.
Dr. Dodson is an experienced pediatrician. He offers comprehensive newborn care to monitor your baby’s health and wellness. He also provides the support you need adjusting to life with your new baby.
What happens during newborn care?
The specifics of your baby’s newborn care depend on you and your baby’s needs. At each visit, Dr. Dodson and the pediatric experts at All Ages Pediatrics PC check your baby’s weight, length, and head circumference.
They perform a physical exam and ask about how well your baby feeds and the number of diapers you change in a 24-hour period. Dr. Dodson also inquires about developmental milestones, such as smiling, rolling over, and sitting up, to make sure your baby meets each milestone when expected.
Dr. Dodson then talks to you about your baby’s health and development. He provides feeding guidelines and talks to you about what you can expect over the next weeks or months.
All Ages Pediatrics PC also provides newborn vaccines to improve your baby’s immune health and protect them from contagious diseases.
How often do I need to bring my baby in for newborn care?
The frequency of your newborn care appointments depends on your baby’s age and health needs. In general, you can expect to see Dr. Dodson for newborn care when your baby is:
- 3-5 days old
- 1 month old
- 2 months old
- 4 months old
- 6 months old
- 9 months old
- 12 months old
After 12 months, Dr. Dodson continues to schedule well-visits for your baby at 18 months, 24 months, and yearly after that.
Does newborn care include special needs?
All Ages Pediatrics PC is a full-service pediatric practice and provides care for baby’s with special needs, such as congenital abnormalities or developmental delays. Dr. Dodson also specializes in the care of newborns after they’ve been discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
The pediatric practice provides help for parents with newborns who have sleep or feeding issues. For mothers struggling with breastfeeding, they have an on-staff lactation consultant.
For compassionate newborn care from an experienced pediatrician, call All Ages Pediatrics PC or book an appointment online today.
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