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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 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 websites 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.
What to expect from your doctor
Your baby's doctor is likely to ask a number of questions, such as:
- What other behaviors might your baby display during a crying episode?
- When does the crying usually occur?
- How long do crying episodes tend to last?
- What does your baby's cry sound like?
- What things do you do to try to soothe your baby?
- Does your baby have any problems with eating?
- What do you feed your baby and how often do you feed him or her?
- How often and how much does your baby spit up?
- Does your baby ever seem to have trouble breathing during these episodes?
- How do you cope when your baby is crying?
- How has your baby's crying affected your family?
- What do you think might be causing your baby's crying?
- Colic. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec19/ch266/ch266f.html. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.
- Roberts DM, et al. Infantile colic. American Family Physician. 2004;70:735.
- Cohen-Silver J, et al. Management of infantile colic: A review. Clinical Pediatrics. 2009;48:14.
- 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.
- Canivet CA, et al. Infantile colic, maternal smoking and infant feeding at 5 weeks of age. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. 2008;36:284.
- Savino F. Focus on infantile colic. Acta Paediatrica. 2007;96:1259.
- Turner TL, et al. Clinical features and etiology of colic. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 1, 2011.
- Turner TL, et al. Evaluation and management of colic. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 1, 2011.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 2, 2011.
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