Newborn Care
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Pediatrician Specialty Practices
A Private Pediatric Practice & Pediatric Cardiologist located in Federal Way, WA
Newborn care begins the moment the baby is born. Babies generally should be seen by their pediatrician for their first well child visit when they’re just days old. Nauman Ahmad, MD, FAAP, and the team at Pediatrician Specialty Practices in Federal Way and Puyallup, Washington, is highly experienced in dealing with very young patients and their parents. They put the patient's comfort first at all times. To schedule an appointment for your newborn, call either office or book an appointment online today.
Newborn Care Q & A
When should a newborn see the pediatrician?
The baby's first visit to the pediatrician should be scheduled when the child is 2-5 days old. After that visit, babies normally should see the pediatrician every month until they're 4 months old. Infant visits are then scheduled at 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 24 months (2 years), 30 months (2.5 years), and 3 years old. After age 3, well child visits are usually scheduled once a year.
When does a baby have a fever?
In newborns, a temperature of 100.4 or higher is a fever. Once a baby reaches 3 months old, a fever is 101 or higher. Fevers can be a serious problem for newborns because they're not yet able to fight off infections as efficiently as older children. Therefore, parents should call their pediatrician at Pediatrician Specialty Practices right away if their newborn has a fever.
What situations require immediate medical newborn care?
Parents should take their newborn to see Dr. Ahmad immediately if the baby's cry is weak, if the baby never cries, if the baby is hard to wake up, if the baby is making constant grunting or moaning sounds, if the baby has a rash at the same time as a fever, or if the baby was exposed to any type of serious infection.
Pediatrician Specialty Practices understands that you can’t plan when your newborn will get sick or when accidents may happen. For this reason, Dr. Ahmad offers convenient same-day appointments for sick visits.
When can a newborn baby be out in public?
Dr. Ahmad generally recommends that parents keep their newborn out of crowds until they're a minimum of 3 months old. Even when the baby's old enough to be out in crowds, parents should be vigilant about all people holding the baby having clean hands and keeping ill people away from the baby.
How much weight loss is normal in a newborn?
In the first couple days, a newborn usually loses around 7 percent of their total body weight. As long as the baby eats every couple of hours, they'll soon be back to their birth weight and beyond.
How often should a newborn eat?
Newborns generally eat around every 2-3 hours. The baby's stomach is so small that they will usually eat just 1-3 ounces at a time.
For more information about newborn care, call Pediatrician Specialty Practices or book an appointment online today.
