7 Keys To Caring For Your Newborn

If you are a parent, or a soon-to-be parent, you understand the all-consuming desire to have a healthy baby and child.  By adding new baby health insurance in California immediately after the birth of your child, you are taking one of the most valuable steps towards promoting your infant’s well-being. The baby health insurance covers all the costs of routine well-baby checkups, making it affordable to provide the best health care for your baby. These well-baby check-ups are the basis for starting your child off on the path to being healthy their entire lifetime.

Well-baby checkups are an integral part of ensuring baby’s first year is a healthy one. They provide a way for parents and pediatricians to assess your child’s health and development. Well-baby office visits offer a chance for parents to ask important questions, and receive informative answers regarding daily nutrition, developmental milestones, behavior, and potential health risks and hazards.

Importance Of Well-baby Checkups

As medical science continues to reveal fascinating information about pre- and post-natal human development, doctors and psychologists have recognized the significance of baby’s first year in establishing a healthy foundation for the rest of his/her life.  Studies show that healthy children perform better in school, and are more likely to graduate from high school according to an Advisory Report for the California Department of Education.

A Blueprint For Great Schools

 

Health Care Access and Nutrition. Rigorous research confirms the clear connection between health status and academic achievement. We know that:

• Healthy children miss fewer days of school, are more attentive, and are better behaved.²⁹
• Healthy children are more successful in school, and are more likely to graduate from high school and go to college.³⁰
• Children with health insurance are more likely to get the health care they need.³² The result is healthier, more attentive, and higher-performing students in the classroom.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/bp/bpstrategy7.asp#fn29

In a report from the Centers For Disease Control, they show that kids graduating from high school have a greater likelihood of living longer.

School Dropout as a Public Health Issue

 

Education is one of the strongest predictors of health: the more schooling people have the better their health is likely to be. Although education is highly correlated with income and occupation, evidence suggests that education exerts the strongest influence on health (1-4). More formal education is consistently associated with lower death rates (4), while less education predicts earlier death. The less schooling people have, the higher their levels of risky health behaviors such as smoking, being overweight, or having a low level of physical activity (5). High school completion is a useful measure of educational attainment because its influence on health is well studied, and it is widely recognized as the minimum entry requirement for higher education and well-paid employment.

http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2007/oct/07_0063.htm

So clearly, keeping your child healthy gives them the best chance to succeed in school and have a long healthy life.

Having California Health Insurance For Children Makes Routine Well-baby Checkups Free

Because well-baby care is an important part of baby health insurance California companies provide these services for free. This makes it easy for parents to stick to the well-baby Checkup Schedule suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

In order to make sure your baby is thriving, the AAP recommends a total of nine visits during the first three years. These visits are timed in accordance with baby’s first year development and AAP immunization schedules. The first six occur during baby’s first year:

• 1 Month
• 2 Month
• 4 Month
• 6 Month
• 9 Month
• 12 Month

Seven Key Parts to a Well-baby Visit

There are seven key components to your well-baby visits. These seven parts, highlighted by the March of Dimes, evaluate every aspect of your child’s health – physical, mental, and emotional. They are also a good chance to assess your parenting skills. Parenting isn’t easy so establishing a positive relationship with your child’s pediatrician and staff allows you become a part of a team which is invested in nurturing and protecting the health of your family. These seven components include:

• Growth. Similar to your own physical checkups, the first thing that happens at a baby’s wellness visit is an assessment of his/her length, weight, and head circumference. The doctor will chart your child’s figures and compare them with the national average. This information lets everyone know how your baby is doing on the general physical level.
• Physical Examination. During the exam, your child’s pediatrician will look at the eyes, in the ears, and in the mouth and throat. S/he will also manipulate the child’s limbs and examine the diaper area to ensure all is normal.
• Developmental Milestones. While all babies develop at their own speed, your answers to the pediatrician’s questions will help to paint a more well-rounded portrait of how your baby/child is doing developmentally. Things like rotating the head independently, rolling over, scooting, crawling, walking, speaking, etc., are all a normal part of baby/toddler development.
• Nutrition. The first several months can seem easy. Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, if your baby is a healthy eater you can usually be sure s/he is getting adequate nutrition. Once baby starts eating solids, it can get trickier. You will receive critical information and advice regarding your baby’s nutritional needs.
• General Information. Your pediatrician will provide time for you to ask any questions you have about all aspects of baby and child care. You will learn about things like child safety seats, home health hazards, and baby proofing your home.
• Lab Tests. While most visits do not involve labs, they may be recommended if something comes up during a routine baby checkup which alerts the doctor to an abnormality. The sooner any conditions are noticed, the sooner your baby can be treated and on the road to health.
• Immunizations. Your doctor will make sure your child is up-to-date on his/her vaccinations.

You and your pediatrician will work together to provide a nurturing, healthy and safe first year for your baby by keeping to the recommended preventive well-baby visits. Just as your baby needs routine care, so do you. Use the focus of scheduling and keeping your baby’s doctor visits as a reminder to take care of yourself as well.

California Health Insurance For Children Is The First Step

Giving your new baby the best health care possible means taking your child for well-baby visits to ensure proper development physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Being prepared to ask questions and take notes will allow you to make sure your baby is healthy.  Getting health insurance when the baby is born provides a fundamental foundation for your child’s healthy growth and development. If you want to learn more about affordable health insurance policies, or if you have any questions about baby health insurance in California, contact SPF Insurance and one of our advisors will be glad to help you.

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