Newborn Exam
Children are a blessing, but being a parent takes a lot of work. Caring for a newborn can be especially intimidating if it’s your first time, but as experienced parents can attest, they're always a handful. Newborn exams are crucial for parents and babies alike. During the exam, a doctor can closely check your newborn’s health, looking for signs of serious conditions and issues.
Contact Dr. Maria Castro or Dr. Yenny Cruz at Starlight Pediatrics to schedule a newborn exam in Holly Springs, NC.
What Happens During a Newborn Exam
A newborn exam is a very careful examination of the baby’s health. This includes checking over every major system, including eyes, ears, heart, lungs, limbs, and more. Regarding vision, it’s crucial to check for reflexes, which is an important sign that the eye is developing properly.
The examiner will be looking for signs of problems. Vital signs are a major focus. Your doctor will check your child’s temperature, heartbeat, breathing rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. Health goes deeper than the skin, but skin health is also crucial. That’s why doctors will closely examine the skin, looking for rashes, discoloring, and other issues.
Doctors will also check the fontanels, which are the soft spots on a baby’s skull, where the bones haven’t fused together yet. The fontanels allow the baby to pass more easily through the birth canal, but after birth, it’s crucial to make sure that the skull is taking shape properly.
Medical professionals will check for many other things during the newborn exam, including hernias, odd masses, and more. Essentially, a newborn exam is a complete check over. You can schedule a newborn exam in Holly Springs, NC, with Dr. Castro or Dr. Cruz at Starlight Pediatrics.
What Comes Next?
If there are health issues, your doctor will let you know. From there, further testing may be ordered or treatment prescribed. In some cases, a specialist may need to be brought in.
Ultimately, the newborn exam will be one of many exams that doctors will perform as your child develops. While many adults and older children only need a checkup once a year, it’s common for babies to undergo several exams within the first year. After that, exams will typically become a bit less frequent, but multiple checkups per year are common with developing children.
Exam time is crucial not just for children, but also parents. You may have observed things that you’d like to raise with your doctor. You might also have questions about this or that. Feel free to raise your concerns with your baby’s doctor. Medical professionals are an invaluable source of knowledge and assistance.
Get in touch with Dr. Castro or Dr. Cruz at Starlight Pediatrics to schedule a newborn exam in Holly Springs, NC by dialing (919) 762-5113 or (919) 975-5379.