When should a newborn be examined?
The midwife delivering your baby (whether you deliver in a hospital, birth centre or at home) will do a routine initial check when they are born. This mostly involves checking baby’s general appearance and for any external abnormalities.
Your baby will also receive a full newborn examination (also called a NIPE: Newborn and Infant Physical Examination) within 6 to 72 hours of birth. It has to be undertaken by a specially qualified member of staff, usually a midwife or doctor. This examination looks at your baby’s physical health, so referrals for any further care your baby needs can be made for you. More information about the examination and what it includes can be found here.
The examination may be in the hospital before you leave, or at a children’s centre, GP surgery or at home. Your midwife should tell you a where it will take place after your baby is born.
You’ll receive the results of the examination straight away, and they will be recorded in your child’s Red Book health record, which will be given to you before or during the examination.
6 week baby examination
A second newborn examination is done with your GP at 6-8 weeks of age. Bring your baby’s Red Book with you to this appointment.
Some GP surgeries will automatically make an appointment, but if not you’ll need to phone the surgery to check.
The 6-week check can be booked separately to your postnatal check, which looks at how you are recovering post-delivery. It’s important that you have enough time to talk to a doctor about your own health and any other issues you might be experiencing.
