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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffWhen you take your baby to his or her pediatrician or family doctor, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Track your baby's crying episodes, including when and how often they occur, how long they last and any observations you've made about your baby's behavior before, during and after the episodes.
- Write down how you've tried to soothe your baby and the results.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
- Record your baby's diet and feeding schedule, as well as weight gain or loss.
Preparing a list of questions ahead of time will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For colic, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Does my baby have colic or is there another reason for the crying episodes?
- What effects can colic have on my baby's growth and development?
- What is the best course of action?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
- What should my family and I do to cope with the crying?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
- Colic. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec05/ch051/ch051a.html?qt=bronchitis&alt=sh. Accessed Feb. 13, 2009.
- Roberts, D et al. Infantile colic. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040815/735.html. Accessed Feb. 13, 2009.
- Cohen-Silver J, et al. Management of infantile colic: A review. Clinical Pediatrics. 2009;49:14.
- Savino F, et al. Lactobacillus reuteri (American type culture collection strain 55730) versus simethicone in the treatment of infantile colic: A prospective randomized study. Pediatrics. 2007;119:e124. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/119/1/e124. Accessed Feb. 13, 2009.
- Canivet CA, et al. Infantile colic, maternal smoking and infant feeding at 5 weeks of age. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. 2008;36:284.
