A first visit to the paediatrician office can be a harrowing and terrifying experience for both mother and baby if the child is sick or needed the schedule injection. Much tears and screaming will result out of a situation deemed foreign and frightening to a child. Further, the mother may be too worried and overwhelmed by the condition of her child and impending treatment. Ideally, an expectant mom will have carefully selected a paediatrician prior to the birth of her child. She can do this by finding information about the location of the clinic, facilities available, operating hours, procedure like whether an appointment is required and also the reputation of the doctor from friends. It is worthwhile to take time to look around for someone the mother is comfortable with because the child will be under the care of the selected person for his first 15 years of life.

Another helpful point in ensuring that our children get the optimal care is to attend routine checks in the well-baby clinic. The aim is for child health surveillance, which is regular health and development checks for young children to see that they are growing and developing normally, and for early detection of any health problems so that they can be treated early.

Well-baby clinic is not only available in private hospitals and clinics, but also in the Government sector. In Malaysia, the Maternal and Child Health programme conducted by the Ministry of Health, carries out health screening at local Maternal and Child Health Clinics (KIKK). These clinics mainly deal with immunisation and basic growth monitoring and nurses / assistant nurses / midwives carry this out.