First and foremost, congratulations on the latest addition to your family! Welcoming a baby to the world is a happy and life-changing experience, but can also be stressful and overwhelming for some parents. Here are six tips to help you out:
Keep track of your baby’s developmental milestones
Throughout various points over the next 3 years you will be invited to bring your baby in to see your GP to check their development. These developmental assessments will look at various aspects of the child’s functioning, such as cognition, communication, behaviour, social interaction, motor and sensory abilities, and adaptive skills.
At Osler Health, we spend at least 30 minutes for each visit and discuss all aspects of baby’s growth and development, and can diagnose and give advice about reflux, colic, constipation and any a range of other conditions. We also stock a range of treatments for these conditions, some of which are exclusive to our clinic here in Singapore.
It is worth noting that a child may achieve different milestones at different stages of development. No two children are the same, and child development varies in every child. It is important to check in with your family doctor regularly for your baby’s routine growth and developmental assessments.
Get your baby vaccinated
Our doctors will help you navigate through your child’s vaccination needs. As an international clinic, our doctors are familiar with the vaccination schedules from many parts of the world and can tailor a programme that is based on your home country, travel plans, relocation plans, whilst keeping compliant with Singapore’s vaccination requirement. We also stock the Meningitis B vaccine that is not found routinely in many clinics in Singapore. You can refer to the table below or the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule (NCIS) to keep your baby up to date with their vaccination schedule.
General vaccination schedule for babies:
Timing | Vaccinations scheduled |
1 week | |
1 month | |
2 months | Yes |
4 months | Yes |
6 months | Yes |
9 months | |
12 months | Yes |
15 months | |
18 months | Yes |
24 months | Yes |
Bonding time
Bonding with your newborn is crucial to their development and wellbeing. When you consistently respond to your baby’s needs, it sets a foundation for the growing infant to enter healthy relationships and appropriately express and experience a full range of emotions.
Hold and cuddle your newborn regularly and make time for skin-to-skin contact. Respond to your baby’s crying so that they know that you’re always there. You are also encouraged to talk to your newborn as often as you can in reassuring and soothing tones. This allows your baby to recognise the sound of your voice and helps them with language learning at a later stage.
Keep your baby well-hydrated
Keeping your newborn hydrated is important, especially in Singapore’s heat. Make sure your baby is well-hydrated with fluids, whether it’s with breast milk, infant formula or boiled water. Check for early symptoms of dehydration such as a dry, parched mouth and more than 6 hours without a wet diaper/nappy.
Be strict about handwashing
Ensure that family members, friends and visitors have washed their hands with an antibacterial hand wash before holding your baby. This is especially important since newborns don’t have a strong immune system yet and are at higher risk of infection.
Ensure your baby sleeps safely
Ensure that your newborn sleeps on the back from birth, not on the tummy or side to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Also make sure that your baby sleeps with their head and face uncovered.
Osler Health offers routine growth and developmental assessments, childhood immunisations, newborn care and care for mum too! Osler Health also is delighted to offer Gaviscon Infant sachets for babies with reflux.
