Why do you need to visit your pediatrician once a year even though your child seems healthy and happy? One benefit is making sure your child stays up to date on vaccines, but that isn’t the sole purpose of well-child visits. There are a few reasons the doctors at Pediatric Associates of Wellesley encourage all parents to visit a pediatrician in Medfield and Weston, MA, annually.

Growth and Development Checkups

Starting from birth, your pediatrician will measure your child’s growth, including weight and length or height. They will discuss developmental milestones to ensure your child is growing healthfully. All children are unique, but there are early signs of developmental problems that your pediatrician can detect even if you aren’t seeing obvious signs at home.

You may also have questions and concerns about your child’s growth and development. Wellness visits are the perfect time to get answers from an expert. Those answers are tailored to your child’s unique medical history.

Addressing Health Concerns and Potential Risks

Your pediatrician in Medfield and Weston, MA, will get to know your child with every passing year. They may pick up on potential health risks earlier because they have watched your child’s growth over time. If there’s a change in behavior or a new health development, your pediatrician will address it right away.

Early diagnosis is critical to treating small problems before they become big health risks. Pediatricians use input from parents as well as physical examinations to identify the need for further testing or treatment.

If your child has a diagnosed medical condition, wellness visits are even more important. You may need to see your pediatrician more than once a year to ensure your child receives proper care as they grow.

Teaching Self-Care, Health, and Wellness

One often-overlooked importance of well-child visits is the message that they send your child. Kids learn from an early age that their health is important. They get accustomed to discussing how they feel with a medical provider they trust.

When these visits are matched with a healthy focus on health and wellness at home, children are likely to continue caring for their bodies into adulthood. That may lower their risk for disease and illness throughout their lifetime. It’s one of the simplest ways to give your child a healthy start.

Is it time to schedule your child’s next visit with a pediatrician in Medfield and Weston, MA? The doctors at Pediatric Associates of Wellesley are excited to see how your little one is growing and are ready to address your questions and concerns. Call (781) 736-0040 to reach our Weston office or (508) 359-9200 to reach our Medfield office.

An important component of newborn care is scheduling regular well-visits with your baby’s pediatrician. Well-visits allow the doctor to closely monitor your little one’s growth and development to ensure everything is on track. In Midfield and Weston, MA, newborn care is available at Pediatric Associates of Wellesley. Our experienced and caring pediatric staff can help your child enjoy better health throughout childhood.

Well Visits for Newborns

Well-visits are checkups with your child’s pediatrician in which several aspects of health and wellness are examined. Well-visits include documentation of height and weight measurements, physical exams, hearing and vision screenings, behavioral assessments, monitoring developmental milestones, and vaccination.

Babies grow and develop quickly during the first few months so your newborn will have several well-visits with one of the skilled pediatricians at our office during this time. Your newborn’s first visit with a pediatrician will take place at the hospital within 24 hours of birth. A pediatric doctor will continue to examine your baby daily until released from the hospital.

Within a few days of discharging from the hospital, you will need to bring your little one into our pediatric office in either Midfield or Weston, MA, for newborn care. The next appointment is usually scheduled for two weeks later at about three weeks of age. Your little one’s next appointment will be at two months of age, then every two to three months until your baby reaches 18 months. The interval between well-visits is extended around this time so your little one won’t need to come in as often.

Newborn Vaccinations

An important aspect of well-visits is vaccination. Vaccinations protect your little one from the threat of many serious illnesses and diseases by helping your child build immunity to them. The vaccination and immunization schedule developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) begins at birth. Your newborn might receive the first dose of certain vaccines at the hospital Remaining doses and other vaccinations will be administered at our pediatric office according to the immunization schedule.

Well-visits are an essential component of newborn care. Our caring pediatric staff will monitor your child’s growth and development and help your little one enjoy better health. For newborn care in Weston, MA, schedule a well-visit with one of our pediatricians by calling Pediatric Associates of Wellesley at (781) 736-0040. Appointments are also available at our Midfield office location by calling (508) 359-9200.

Pertussis, more commonly referred to as whooping cough, is a contagious bacterial infection of the lungs. The nickname comes from the “whooping” sound that occurs when a child breathes. While many people assume that whooping cough is an infection that no longer exists, it’s actually more common in the US than we’d like to admit. In fact, pediatricians have seen an increase in the number of whooping cough cases over the last couple of decades.

• Resting as much as possible
• Staying hydrated
• Sticking to smaller meals to safeguard against cough-induced vomiting
• Making sure your family is up to date on their vaccinations

Reflexively, your baby is born with the ability to suck. It makes sense. After all, your little one must be able to suck to get nutrients, whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. Thumb sucking also has the ability to soothe and calm your little one. However, there are moments as your child gets older where thumb-sucking may become a problem. Your pediatrician can provide you with the tips and tricks to help your little one grow out of this habit.

• Do not tease or punish your child for using a pacifier, but instead praise them when they do not use it. Provide them with rewards when they go without it.
• Some children use pacifiers out of boredom, so give your child something to do to distract them such as playing with a game or toy (to keep their hands busy).
• If incentives and rewards aren’t enough and your child is still using a pacifier, your pediatrician may recommend a “thumb guard” that can prevent your child from sucking their thumb. While you may feel in a rush to get rid of your child’s pacifier, it’s important to be patient. All children eventually stop this habit.

We all know how accident-prone kids can be. They get bruises, bumps, cuts, and scrapes from time and time. Most of the time, these boo-boos are nothing to worry about, but sometimes a cut or laceration may require turning to your pediatrician for stitches. Does your child need stitches? We know it isn’t always easy to tell. Here are some telltale signs that your child might need stitches,

• Apply pressure to the cut for five minutes. If it’s still bleeding after five minutes, it probably needs stitches
• The cut is more than ½-inch deep or longer
• The cut is around their eye
• The cut is on their face or neck and is longer than ¼ inch
• The cut is gaping open
• There is an object sticking out of it, including debris or glass
• The cut is spurting blood

• The cut was made by a rusty or metal object
• There is redness, swelling, pus, or other signs of infection
• The child has been bitten by an animal
• The cut hasn’t healed within 10 days
• There is still severe pain after a few hours