It’s time for you baby to pay his first visit to the family doctor. Here’s what to expect…
By the age of 6 weeks, your baby will be beginning to smile, look at you when you talk and generally respond positively to any form of contact.
Your GP will want to know about his general health, and will review any problems there may have been with your pregnancy, the delivery and in the time since then.
You may be asked about family health issues that might affect your baby, such as congenital hearing loss, thalassaemia (an inherited form of anaemia), or genetic disorders.
The results of any blood tests your baby had shortly after the birth will be recorded. These will include the result of the Guthrie test (the heel prick test which checks thyroid function and for the genetic disorder phenylketonuria), and sickle cell and thalassaemia, if taken.
