6-8 Week Newborn Baby Examinations

Childhealthy offers the 6 to 8 week check, in clinic or at home. The purpose of the health check is to assess your baby’s progress, growth and development, to screen for any concerns, so that early action can be taken and to reassure parents that all is progressing well with their infant. During the appointment, you will have the opportunity to raise any concerns which you may have relating to your baby. This is usually carried out in advance of the first set of vaccinations.

a baby girl lying on her back with a stethoscope pressed onto her chest
a newborn sleeping with a stuffed rabbit

What does the examination involve?

Similar to the newborn examination, this includes a ‘top to toe’ examination of your baby, including assessing the skin, face, eyes, visual behaviour and smiling, mouth, ears, chest and breathing, heart and pulses, abdomen and umbilicus, genitalia, anus, hips, spine and movements, in addition to growth measurements.

Anything to ask?

Aside from the physical examination, the 6 to 8 week check offers you the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns that may have arisen in the first view weeks. These commonly relate to your baby’s feeding, sleeping, weeing, pooing, caring for your infant and vaccinations.

A baby sleeping in their mother's arms