Newborn Care

Newborn Care In Arlington TX

Wondering when your baby needs to visit the pediatrician for the first time? Wondering how often they need to come in for well-child checkups? We know that as a parent there are so many questions you have about the health care your baby receives. Here at Gold Pediatrics, we make it our mission to provide the highest quality care to your newborn at every wellness visit.

The Purpose of Well Visits in Arlington, TX

Within 24 hours of your baby’s birth, the hospital is going to perform a comprehensive examination to make sure that your baby is healthy. Once you and your baby have been discharged from the hospital, you’ll bring your newborn into our practice a few days later for their first pediatric checkup. These checkups are vital for all newborns. Here are some of the most important aspects of these regular wellness checkups,

Hearing and vision screenings: We must check your child’s hearing and vision to identify potential problems early. We will perform a hearing and vision screening at their 3-month visit and again around 2-2.5 years old.

Behavioral assessments: As your child continues to grow, we may also ask parents about certain behaviors they may be exhibiting. Just as adults can deal with behavioral and psychological issues, so too can children. By pinpointing these issues early, we can provide early treatment options to help manage everything from ADHD to anxiety.

Physical exams: Getting a physical examination from a physician isn’t just for adults and kids wanting to play sports. These routine exams are important for infants, too! These exams allow our pediatrician to evaluate all areas of the body, from the eyes and mouth to the heart, lungs, and hips, to make sure everything looks healthy and is functioning properly.

Monitoring developmental milestones: From crawling to walking, there are many developmental milestones that your newborn will reach as they continue to grow, and our pediatric team must monitor these developmental stages to make sure that everything is on track.

Documenting measurements: From the very first checkup onwards, we will need to measure your baby’s weight and height, which we will compare to a standard growth chart. This will help us compare your baby’s height and weight to others to make sure there aren’t any issues.

Vaccinating: One of the best ways to protect your newborn from the threat of certain serious and contagious viruses is by getting them vaccinated. Babies will be vaccinated from the moment they are born, and they will need to come in for wellness checkups so that we can continue to administer these inoculations throughout their childhood.

Immunizations

Immunizations In Arlington, TX

As any pediatrician or doctor will tell you, it is far easier and better to prevent diseases and illnesses from happening in the first place than it is to treat the infection once it’s occurred. While good hygiene and sanitary practices are important for keeping your kids and family safe, this isn’t always fail proof. One of the most effective ways in which our pediatrician Dr. Gold here at Gold Pediatrics can protect children from potentially dangerous infectious diseases is by making sure that they get vaccinated.

Why are Immunizations so Important for Children?

There was a time when diseases such as smallpox and polio caused devastating consequences for the health of both children and adults. Vaccines save lives. In fact, they have saved millions of lives and because of vaccines, we no longer have to worry about deadly infections such as smallpox anymore.

How do Vaccinations Protect my Child Against Certain Diseases?

When a child is infected with a virus, their body’s immune system kicks into overdrive, producing antibodies that can help them fight the infection. Unfortunately, since the body has never seen this type of foreign invader before, your child gets sick; however, once their immune system has come into contact with that specific infection, it will have the antibodies needed to fight it the next time and to avoid future illnesses.

However, it is far better to protect your child from being infected in the first place, especially since some infectious diseases have some detrimental long-term effects to your health. This is where vaccines come in. Vaccines contain either a dead or weakened version of the virus, which is just strong enough to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies but is weak enough that it doesn’t make your child sick. Vaccines help your child safely build immunity to many communicable diseases.

Along with protecting your child and your family, getting kids immunized also protects the community at large. The more children are vaccinated the less concern there is for an outbreak of a potentially dangerous disease. Vaccines also prevent unnecessary doctor and hospital visits, reduce the amount of sick days your child has to deal with and can be incredibly cost effective.

Gold Pediatrics follows the immunization guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). For information about these vaccines and the diseases they protect against, please visit https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/immunizations/

For detailed informational sheets published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) please visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/h…

Our Vaccine Philosophy in Arlington, TX

Our practice believes that all children should receive the recommended vaccines according to the guidelines provided by the AAP and the CDC. Vaccines are safe and effective in preventing diseases and health complications in children and young adults. Regular vaccinations help children ward off infections, and are administered as one of the safest and best methods of disease prevention.

We are happy to discuss your concerns about vaccines at your child’s next visit.

Recommended Immunization Schedule

  • 0-6 Years -Schedule for Persons Aged 0 Through 6 Years
  • 7-18 Years-Schedule for Persons Aged 7 Through 18 Years
  • Catch-up Schedule -Schedule for Persons Aged 4 Months Through 18 Years Who Start Late or Who Are More Than 1 Month Behind

Resources

Vaccine Safety: The Vaccine Facts Safety Facts from the AAP