Routine health check-up: at two months

You are now more experienced parents. Your child has shown you how much she likes to be treated, that she is comfortable when you hold her, rock her, cuddle, talk or sing to her. She has probably already started exploring her body and you may have had a chance to see her watching her hands. 

To prepare for a health check-up, bring with you: 

• spare baby cover 

• all medical documentation (e.g. if you have already had an ultrasound of baby’s hips) 

• a list of the main topics you would like to discuss with your doctor/pediatrician about your child's health and development 

Contents of the preventive visit 

• Growth monitoring: The measurement of the child is mandatory at every routine health check-up, so expect measurements of length, and head circumference will be taken entered in growth charts. 

• Introductory interview and counselling: The doctor will check how much your child has grown and will talk to you about nutrition. He will be interested in: how often you feed the child; how you balance between feeding and sleeping. Take the opportunity to ask everything you are interested in regarding the child's nutrition and behaviour. The doctor will additionally try to support breastfeeding as an exclusive form of diet for up to 6 months. 

• Establishing daily routines is a particularly important topic, because the child learns quickly and feels safer when events have a certain regularity and predictability, and at the same time help him to know what is expected of him. This includes getting regular meals, going outside at similar time, bathing, listening to stories and playing with parents, going to bed. Prevention of sleeping with a bottle containing formula or sweetened beverages, prevention of early media exposure, prevention of exposure to tobacco smoke, safe exposure to sunlight, and how to transport your baby safely in car. 

• Medical check-up and developmental assessment: The doctor will perform a regular clinical examination of the child. 

• They will pay special attention to how the child announces himself and whether there is an eye contact and he smiles when he addresses him and check the e red reflex of eyes. The doctor will also follow how the child holds himself in certain positions, whether he holds his head better, whether he opens his fist; how much he is interested in what is happening in the environment. 

• The doctor will also observe how you react to the expressed needs of your child. 

• Use the opportunity to ask more about the health and development of your child. 

Vaccination 

• Your doctor will check that your child has received all the necessary vaccines since birth. 

• You will be provided with information on why it is important to receive certain vaccines at this age. If the child is in good health, s/he will be given the necessary vaccines. 

• One vaccine will be administered to the upper leg, and it will be the first dose of the combined vaccine against: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and Hemophilus influenza b, and in the other upper leg, the first dose of the vaccine against the disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. 

• You will receive information about the possible mild side effects that may occur after the vaccination and what to do in that case. 

Final opinion  

• At the end of the visit, the doctor will give his / her opinion on the state of your child's health and development, provide information for the forthcoming period and schedule the next visit. 

After the visit  

• Try to write down the new information and recommendations you received during the visit. 

Routine health check-up is an opportunity to check the health of your child, but also an opportunity to clarify some concerns and get the necessary advice and recommendations on how to successfully support health and development of your child.