Newborn Care & Infant Checkups

TL;DR

Dr. Jedidiah Oldham, DO provides newborn care and infant checkups at 972 N 600 E in Spanish Fork. He sees newborns within three to five days of hospital discharge, tracks growth and feeding milestones at each visit, and follows the AAP well-child schedule through the first year and beyond. Dr. Oldham manages the same baby from the first visit through adolescence inside one continuous primary care relationship. Call (385) 265-6060 to schedule.

What Does Newborn Care Include at Dr. Oldham’s Office?

Newborn care at the Spanish Fork office begins with the first office visit three to five days after hospital discharge and continues through a structured series of well-baby checkups during the first year. That first visit includes a full physical exam, weight check to confirm the baby has stopped losing birth weight, a jaundice assessment, feeding evaluation, and umbilical cord inspection. Dr. Oldham also reviews the hospital discharge summary, newborn screening results, and any complications from delivery. The AAP Bright Futures schedule recommends visits at three to five days, one month, two months, four months, six months, nine months, and twelve months during the first year alone, and Dr. Oldham follows that timeline at the Spanish Fork office.

A high volume of newborns in Spanish Fork because Utah County’s birth rate ranks among the highest in the nation. That volume means the practice is set up to accommodate urgent same-day newborn concerns like feeding difficulty or jaundice symptoms without requiring a trip to urgent care. Parents get the same physician at every visit, which means Dr. Oldham already knows the baby’s baseline when a concern arises at the two-week or two-month mark.

When Should a Newborn Have Their First Doctor Visit With Dr. Oldham?

Dr. Oldham schedules the first newborn visit three to five days after the baby leaves the hospital, which aligns with the CDC immunization schedule and AAP well-child guidelines. That timing matters because most newborns lose five to seven percent of their birth weight in the first few days, and the three-to-five-day visit confirms that weight loss has stabilized and feeding is established. Dr. Oldham checks bilirubin levels if the baby appears jaundiced, examines the umbilical stump, listens to the heart for murmurs that may not have been audible at the hospital exam, and reviews the newborn metabolic screening results. Parents who deliver at Utah Valley Hospital, Timpanogos Regional, or Mountain Point typically schedule this visit before discharge so the appointment is already on the calendar.

Parents are encouraged to bring a written list of questions to the first visit because new parents often forget concerns once the appointment starts. Common topics at the three-to-five-day visit include breastfeeding latch, formula supplementation, safe sleep positioning, and how to interpret the baby’s cry patterns. Dr. Oldham addresses each one during the visit rather than rushing through a checklist, because early parental confidence reduces unnecessary emergency room visits in the first month.

How Does Dr. Oldham Track Newborn Growth and Feeding Milestones?

Dr. Oldham plots every newborn’s weight, length, and head circumference on the WHO growth charts at each visit, tracking the baby’s percentile trajectory over time rather than focusing on a single data point. The WHO charts are the recommended standard for infants birth to 24 months because they reflect growth patterns of breastfed babies, per AAP guidance. Dr. Oldham flags any drop of two or more percentile lines between visits as a reason for closer monitoring or a feeding evaluation. For breastfed babies, he assesses latch quality, feeding frequency, and wet and dirty diaper counts. For formula-fed babies, he confirms the volume and frequency are appropriate for the baby’s age and weight.

Spanish Fork parents appreciate seeing the growth chart at each visit because it turns an abstract concern into a visible trend line. If a baby is tracking along the 25th percentile consistently, that is normal. If the same baby drops from the 50th to the 15th percentile between two visits, Dr. Oldham investigates before the next scheduled appointment. That longitudinal tracking, possible because the same physician sees the baby every time, catches feeding problems and failure to thrive earlier than episodic care at a walk-in clinic.

What Vaccines Does Dr. Oldham Give During the First Year?

Dr. Oldham follows the CDC-recommended immunization schedule, which begins with the hepatitis B vaccine at birth (given at the hospital) and continues with combination vaccines at two, four, and six months. The two-month visit is the first major vaccine appointment, and Dr. Oldham administers DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV15, rotavirus, and the second dose of hepatitis B at that visit. By twelve months the baby will have received protection against fourteen diseases. Dr. Oldham explains each vaccine at the visit, discusses common side effects like low-grade fever and fussiness, and provides a printed schedule so parents can track what comes next. The practice stocks all routine childhood vaccines on site, so parents do not need to visit a separate pharmacy or health department.

Vaccine hesitancy is addressed with evidence and patience instead of pressure. When a parent has concerns about the schedule, Dr. Oldham reviews the safety data from the CDC childhood vaccine schedule, explains how combination vaccines reduce the total number of injections, and discusses the real risks of delaying or skipping doses. Utah County has experienced outbreaks of pertussis and measles in recent years, and Dr. Oldham uses those local examples to illustrate why on-time vaccination matters for individual babies and the surrounding community.

What Warning Signs Should Parents Watch for in a Newborn?

Every visit includes education about the warning signs that require a same-day call or an emergency room visit. In the first week, those signs include a rectal temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, refusal to feed for two or more consecutive feedings, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes that worsens after day three, blue or gray color around the lips, fewer than six wet diapers per day after day four, and inconsolable crying lasting more than three hours. Dr. Oldham provides a printed handout listing these red flags because sleep-deprived parents cannot rely on memory alone.

Parents should call the office first instead of going straight to the emergency room for non-life-threatening concerns, because many newborn issues can be triaged and resolved with a same-day office visit. The Spanish Fork office reserves same-day slots specifically for infant concerns, and Dr. Oldham or the on-call provider can assess the baby within hours rather than the multi-hour wait typical of an ER visit. That system keeps newborns out of waiting rooms full of older, sicker patients and reduces unnecessary ER costs for the family.

How Does Dr. Oldham Support Breastfeeding and Formula Feeding?

Dr. Oldham assesses feeding at every newborn visit because adequate nutrition drives every other milestone in the first year. For breastfeeding mothers, he evaluates latch, nipple condition, feeding duration and frequency, and the baby’s weight gain trajectory. When latch problems persist, Dr. Oldham examines for tongue-tie and lip-tie and can refer to a pediatric dentist for frenectomy if the restriction is affecting feeding. He also coordinates with lactation consultants in the Spanish Fork area for mothers who need hands-on breastfeeding support between office visits. For formula-fed babies, Dr. Oldham confirms the formula type is appropriate, reviews preparation technique, and adjusts volume recommendations as the baby grows.

Dr. Oldham does not pressure parents toward one feeding method over another. He presents the AAP recommendation that exclusive breastfeeding for six months provides optimal nutrition, while also acknowledging that formula is a safe and complete alternative when breastfeeding is not possible or not preferred. That approach builds trust with parents who may feel judged at other practices. In Spanish Fork, where many families have multiple young children, Dr. Oldham sees mothers who breastfed one child and formula-fed the next, and he supports both decisions without qualification.

What Is the Well-Baby Visit Schedule Dr. Oldham Follows?

AAP-recommended well-baby visit schedule: first year
Visit Age Key focus areas Vaccines given
First visit 3-5 days Weight check, jaundice screen, feeding evaluation, umbilical cord Hep B (dose 2 if not given at hospital)
1-month 1 month Growth tracking, feeding assessment, maternal mood screen None scheduled
2-month 2 months Developmental milestones, tummy time, sleep patterns DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV15, rotavirus, Hep B
4-month 4 months Rolling, reaching, social smile, oral health DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV15, rotavirus
6-month 6 months Solid food introduction, sitting, iron screening DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV15, Hep B, flu (seasonal)
9-month 9 months Crawling, pincer grasp, stranger anxiety, lead risk screen None scheduled (flu if seasonal)
12-month 12 months Walking readiness, language, hemoglobin/lead screen MMR, varicella, Hep A, PCV15 booster

How Does Dr. Oldham Screen for Developmental Delays in Infants?

Dr. Oldham screens for developmental delays at every well-baby visit using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) at the 9-month and 12-month visits and clinical observation of motor, language, and social milestones at every visit in between. The ASQ-3 is a parent-completed questionnaire that takes about ten minutes and screens five developmental domains: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social skills. Dr. Oldham reviews the results during the visit and discusses any domain that falls below the cutoff score. Early identification matters because Utah’s Early Intervention program (Baby Watch) provides free therapy services for children birth to age three who qualify, and a referral from Dr. Oldham starts that process.

Dr. Oldham also watches for autism spectrum disorder red flags starting at the 12-month visit, with formal M-CHAT-R screening at 18 and 24 months per AAP guidelines. In the first year, he looks for absence of social smile by two months, lack of babbling by six months, no response to name by nine months, and no pointing or waving by twelve months. When Dr. Oldham identifies a concern, he explains it clearly to parents, avoids labeling prematurely, and connects the family with evaluation resources so that intervention can begin during the critical window when the brain is most responsive to therapy.

Does Insurance Cover Newborn Checkups With Dr. Oldham?

Dr. Oldham bills newborn and well-baby visits under preventive care codes, and the Affordable Care Act requires all marketplace and employer-sponsored plans to cover well-child visits with no out-of-pocket cost to the family. That means the three-to-five-day visit, every subsequent well-baby visit, and all recommended vaccines during those visits are covered at 100 percent under most plans. The practice accepts 30+ insurance plans including Medicaid and CHIP, which cover the majority of pediatric patients in Utah County. The front desk verifies insurance coverage before the first appointment so parents know their cost before walking in.

Dr. Oldham notes that sick visits are billed separately from well-child visits and may carry a copay depending on the plan. If a baby has a well-child visit and Dr. Oldham also diagnoses an ear infection or rash at the same appointment, the practice bills both components, and the sick visit portion may have a cost. The front desk explains this dual-billing process at scheduling so parents are not surprised. Families without insurance or with high-deductible plans can ask about self-pay rates before booking.

How Do I Schedule My Baby’s First Visit With Dr. Oldham?

Schedule your newborn’s first visit

Call before hospital discharge or within the first two days home so the front desk can reserve a three-to-five-day appointment slot. Mention that you need a newborn visit when calling.

Call (385) 265-6060 Book online

972 N 600 E, Spanish Fork, UT 84660

Frequently Asked Questions About Newborn Care

How soon after birth should my baby see Dr. Oldham?

Dr. Oldham schedules the first visit three to five days after hospital discharge. This timing allows him to check weight recovery, screen for jaundice, and evaluate feeding before potential problems escalate.

Can Dr. Oldham see my baby if we used a different doctor for delivery?

Yes. Dr. Oldham accepts newborn patients regardless of which physician or midwife managed the delivery. He reviews the hospital discharge summary at the first visit to ensure continuity.

What if my baby seems sick before the first scheduled visit?

Call (385) 265-6060 immediately. The office reserves same-day slots for newborn concerns, and Dr. Oldham or the on-call provider can see urgent cases within hours.

Does Dr. Oldham do newborn circumcisions?

Dr. Oldham performs newborn circumcisions in the office for families who choose the procedure. He discusses the risks, benefits, and aftercare at a prenatal visit or at the first newborn appointment.

Will my baby see the same doctor at every visit?

Yes. Dr. Oldham provides continuity of care, meaning your baby sees the same physician from the first newborn visit through childhood and adolescence. That consistency builds a medical history that improves care at every stage.

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational and does not replace an in-person evaluation. Individual care decisions should be made between a patient’s family and their physician.

Content accuracy: Clinical guidance is based on current recommendations from the AAP, CDC, and Bright Futures. Last reviewed April 2026.

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