Weight Visits Specialist
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Dr. Sindu Pillai, MD Inc.
Pediatricians located in Murrieta, CA
At the beginning of life, your baby grows rapidly, tripling their birth weight by the time they reach their first birthday. When your baby isn’t gaining weight as expected, you may need weight visits with your pediatrician. Sindu Pillai, MD, specializes in newborn care and recommends weight visits when appropriate at her offices in Murrietta, California. To find out more about weight visits, call the office of Dr. Sindu Pillai, MD Inc., or schedule a consultation online today.
Weight Visits Q & A
What are weight visits?
Your child’s weight may affect health, growth, and development, especially during their first year of life. If Dr. Pillai has concerns about your child’s weight, she schedules weight visits. For these visits, she has you bring your child in at regular intervals for weight checks on her professional doctor’s scale. These weight checks allow her to monitor your child’s weight.
Poor weight gain, especially in newborns, may be a sign of an underlying health issue such as a food allergy or food intolerance. Having you bring your newborn baby in for weight checks during their first month of life helps Dr. Pillai identify health problems early, so your baby gets the care they need to thrive.
The same is true for older children who may not be growing or gaining weight as expected.
Who needs weight visits?
Dr. Pillai determines if your child needs weight visits at a well-child visit.
She schedules newborn visits three to five days after birth or 48 to 72 hours after you leave the hospital. Though it’s normal for a newborn to lose 7 to 10% of their birth weight soon after delivery, if Dr. Pillai has concerns about your newborn’s weight at that first visit, she schedules regular weight visits. These visits may be scheduled just a few days after your newborn visit.
Dr. Pillai may also schedule weight visits for her patients taking attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication. Some ADHD medications decrease your child’s appetite, which may affect their weight.
Your child may also benefit from weight visits with the pediatrician if they’re not gaining weight as expected, and it’s affecting their overall growth.
What can I expect during weight visits?
Weight visits at the pediatrician’s office are quick and painless. One of the friendly team members weighs your child and shares the updated weight with Dr. Pillai.
Dr. Pillai expects weight gain at newborn weight appointments. Typically, newborns gain five to seven ounces a week. However, if your newborn isn’t gaining as expected, she may ask about feedings and make suggestions to help your baby catch up.
Dr. Pillai wants to ensure that older children taking ADHD medications maintain their weight. If your child is losing weight, she may suggest changing treatments or offer advice on how to make changes to your child’s diet to prevent excessive weight loss.
Weight visits are an effective tool to monitor your child’s health between well-child visits. For patient-centered pediatric care, call the office of Dr. Sindu Pillai, MD Inc., or schedule an appointment online today.
