The first few weeks of a baby’s life are an exciting and demanding time for both the baby and parents. Even when it isn’t their first child, families need time to adjust to a new baby. The newborn visit is an opportunity to support the health and well-being of the mother, baby, and family.
What is the newborn visit?
The purpose of the newborn visit is to check on the health of the mother and baby, address families’ questions, offer resources, and make referrals as needed. The Head Start Program Performance Standards (Performance Standards) require this visit for Early Head Start programs that enroll pregnant women (45 CFR §1302.80(d)). Although staff with knowledge of maternal and child health are best prepared to visit the family, this visit does not replace well-baby checks or medical care for the mother.
Scheduling the Visit
The Performance Standards require programs to schedule the visit within two weeks of birth. The visit may take place after the two-week date if that is easier for the family. Staff should record all efforts to communicate and schedule the visit within the required two weeks.
Key Goals of the Visit
Head Start staff should describe the goals of the visit in the family partnership agreement. The goals include:
Discuss the mother’s postpartum recovery and ongoing health care needs.
Encourage new mothers to go to postpartum appointments and take care of their physical and mental health needs. Find out if partners, family, friends, or someone from their community can also support them. Talk with families about whether they have an ongoing source of health care and make a referral to a provider if needed. Offer resources on postpartum recovery and encourage mothers to contact their provider with questions or concerns.
Make sure the baby has ongoing health care.
Another important goal of the visit is to make sure that the baby has ongoing health care. The baby may have had a two-day-old visit with their health care provider before the newborn visit. But, if the family has not found a provider for their infant, give them a list of providers that families in your program use, and offer to help set up a first appointment. Give information about the schedule for routine well-baby visits, what to expect during a visit, and the importance of going to these appointments. Encourage parents to talk about any concerns with their child’s health care provider.
Address possible hazards without judgment.
You can discuss many newborn safety issues ― such as bathing a baby safely, avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke, and creating environments that are safe for an infant. Make sure families understand how to use infant products such as swings and carriers or slings for babywearing. They can be hazardous when not used properly. Review manufacturers’ instructions if available or look them up online. Read A Guide to Safety Conversations with Families for other possible topics to discuss. These safety conversations can begin before the baby is born. During the visit, help the family remove any safety hazards.
Discuss safe sleep.
Help families understand the importance of safe sleep practices. These practices include always putting a baby to sleep on their back on a separate, firm, flat surface designed for infants that meets current safety standards. Use a fitted sheet and remove all soft objects and loose bedding. Talk with the family about how to dress the infant to avoid overheating. Being too warm is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related deaths, which is the leading cause of death for infants.
When a bed designed for infants isn’t available, a sleep space with a firm, flat surface and thin padding ― such as a box, basket, or dresser drawer ― can be used for a short time. Cradleboards can be an appropriate infant sleep surface. Read these resources on safe sleep to learn more.
Support infant feeding.
Give information on the benefits of breastfeeding and offer referrals to lactation consultants when needed. Make a referral to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) if the family is not enrolled. WIC offers free healthy food, breastfeeding support, and nutrition education for eligible families. Support the family’s decision on how they want to feed their baby.
Check on parents’ emotional well-being.
Discuss what families need to support their mental health. Early Head Start parents are at high risk for depression, and parental depression can affect child development. Depression rates are highest for mothers during pregnancy and the postpartum period. During the newborn visit, you can help identify signs of depression. Use an evidence-based tool to screen for depression, such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) or the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen (EPDS). These tools are available in many languages. You can also work with your mental health consultant to refer families for support and intervention if needed. Encourage partner or father engagement. Offer resources about nurturing and responsive caregiving.
Make referrals and coordinate care when needed.
An important goal of the newborn visit is to make sure families have the information and resources they need to care for themselves and their new baby. You may not know how to answer every family concern, so bring information on community resources to help families get food, housing support, furniture, or household items, and how to apply for services such as Early Intervention and WIC. Learn about the reasons why families may have a hard time getting health care. Then, work with community partners to help families find solutions to help them get the health and mental health care they need.
Tips for the Visit
Use these tips to improve communication with the family during the newborn visit:
Recognize that the family is the expert.
Families make the decisions for their children’s health. They may have important and powerful culturally-rooted beliefs about the health and care of a newborn. These beliefs are the foundation for health and care decisions for their baby.
Ask questions and encourage the family to ask questions, too.
Ask open-ended questions (e.g., “How are you and the baby sleeping and eating?” and “How do you feel?”). Encourage the family to ask questions too.
Point out what is going well.
Use the visit to support the family in focusing on the baby’s behaviors. Invite the family to talk about their observations, ideas, and guesses about the baby’s needs. Notice and encourage the positive ways family members engage with the baby. This will support their positive relationship with their baby and make them feel more confident if they feel unsure.
Be prepared.
You cannot predict every question that families ask, but be prepared to give information and answer questions on these topics:
Physical Health
- Mother’s recovery
- Breastfeeding concerns (e.g., mastitis, pain in the breasts, chapped nipples)
- Postpartum care
- Newborn’s health, including growth, movement and reflexes, temperature, cord care, sleep, jaundice, and hearing and vision
- When to call the health care provider
Nutrition
- Nutrition for breastfeeding parent
- Family access to nutritious food
- Breastfeeding
- Family access to lactation support and breast pumps
- Making and storing formula and breast milk
- Newborn’s eating, weight gain, pooping, and burping or spitting up
Mental Health
- Parental depression
- Parent’s responsiveness to the baby
- Adjustment of all family members (including siblings) to the newborn
- Family’s sense of competence
- Social support for the family
- Stress about returning to work or school and plans for the baby’s care
- Newborn crying and self-care strategies when the baby cannot be soothed
- Substance use
Safety
- Housing security
- Personal safety
- Home safety, including safe sleep
Read more:
Resource Type: Publication
National Centers: Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety
Age Group: Infants and Toddlers
Last Updated: May 13, 2025