Baby Check-ups in the First Months: The 6 to 8 Week Check and Health Visitor Reviews

In the first months, your baby sees a lot of professionals: a midwife, a health visitor, a GP and a practice nurse. This page puts the NHS reviews in order, explains the 6 to 8 week check that most parents search for, and covers what to bring and what to ask. It follows NHS advice for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own services and may time or label reviews differently, so follow the invitations you are sent.

The check-ups in order

The NHS says you will be offered regular health and development reviews (health visitor checks) until your baby is around 2. They are usually done by a health visitor or a member of their team, at home or at a GP surgery, baby clinic or children's centre. It helps if both parents can go where possible. If your baby was born prematurely, their developmental age is calculated from your original due date, not the date they were born, until they are 2 years old.

The 6 to 8 week check: what happens

The NHS says the same physical examination offered after birth is offered again by the GP when your baby is between 6 and 8 weeks old, because some of the things it looks for can take longer to develop. It is recommended for all babies, but it is your choice whether to have it.

• The questions first. The person doing the check will ask general questions, like how your baby is feeding or whether there is any family history of illness, and will ask you to undress your baby.
• Eyes: looked at with a special torch to check how they focus and move.
• Heart: they check your baby's pulse and listen to the heart.
• Hips: checked to see that they have grown properly and move as expected.
• Testicles: for boys, checked to see they have moved into the scrotum.
• Measurements: weight, length and head circumference.
• Vaccinations and you: a GP or health visitor talks to you about vaccinations and asks how you have been feeling emotionally and physically since the birth.

The NHS says the examination is not painful or uncomfortable, that there are no known risks, and that you will be told the results straight away. Most babies will not have any problems and will not need further tests. If something is found, the healthcare professional will explain what it might mean and what happens next, and your baby may be referred to a specialist. The results should be recorded in the red book. The NHS lists the conditions the check looks for as childhood cataracts, congenital heart disease, developmental dysplasia of the hip and undescended testicles.

If your baby has not been offered the 6 to 8 week examination, the NHS says to tell your midwife, health visitor or GP. The 8 week vaccinations are a separate appointment: see baby vaccinations at 8 weeks.

Weighing and the red book

Shortly before or after your baby is born you will be given a personal child health record, usually with a red cover and known as the red book. The NHS says it is used to record your baby's weight and height, vaccinations and other important health information, and that you can add information yourself, such as illnesses, accidents or medicines, and keep the developmental milestones section up to date.

After the first 2 weeks, the NHS says your baby should be weighed no more than once a month up to 6 months of age, no more than once every 2 months from 6 to 12 months, and no more than once every 3 months over the age of 1, unless you ask for it or there are concerns. The weights go on centile charts, which the NHS says show the pattern of growth healthy children usually follow, whether breastfed, formula fed or both. The NHS adds that your baby's weight may go up or down by 1 centile line, and that if it crosses 2 centile lines, you should talk to a health visitor. For more on charts, see our guide to growth charts and percentiles.

What to bring and what to ask

• The red book. Take it every time you visit the baby clinic or GP (NHS).
• Easy-to-remove clothes. You will be asked to undress your baby for the examination.
• A second pair of ears. The NHS says it is helpful, where possible, for both parents to attend, so you both can ask questions and raise concerns.
• Your own notes. The NHS reviews discuss feeding, safe sleeping, vaccinations, development and how you are adjusting to life as a new parent, so write down what you have noticed: how feeding is going, how many wet and dirty nappies, how your baby sleeps and anything that worries you.

Questions worth asking include whether your baby's weight and length are following the line on their chart, whether feeding looks right for their age, what to do about vaccinations that are due, and anything about your own recovery or mood. The NHS says to speak to the person doing the examination if you have any questions or are worried about your baby. If you have concerns at other times, contact a health visitor or GP, or go to your local baby clinic.

Not sure whether your baby is feeding enough before the check? Read is my baby getting enough milk.

If you are in the US: well-child visits

The American Academy of Pediatrics and Bright Futures recommend preventive care visits at the newborn stage, at 3 to 5 days, by 1 month, and then at 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months, with length, weight and head circumference measured at each of these visits. That is a different pattern from the UK reviews above, so in the US, follow your pediatrician's schedule. You can use our check-up schedule calculator to see typical ages.

Frequently asked questions