Maternal and child health - visit 6 - eight month visit
Maternal and child health - visit 6 - eight month visit
What happens at my eight month maternal and child health visit?
At this visit, your baby’s growth, health and development will be reviewed. You will also be asked to answer
My Health, Learning and Development – green book
. It is under the Parents’ Evaluation of Development Status (PEDS) section. Try to complete these questions before your visit.
This visit will focus on:
addressing the PEDS questions in your green book.
poisons information.
preventing injuries.
taking care of your child’s teeth.
being sun smart (learning how to protect your child from the sun).
how play helps learning and development.
immunisations
.
hearing screen - the
Victorian Infant Hearing Screen Program
(VIHSP)
External Link
. Check the newborn hearing screen section of your ‘green book’ to see if it has been completed.
family relationships
and wellbeing.
Remember, you and your nurse can talk about other issues or concerns if they arise.
Tip sheets for this visit
How to prevent poisoning (pdf)
,
Victorian Poisons Information Centre, Austin Health,
Melbourne
External Link
Cool? Cloudy? Hot? Sunny? Whatever the weather, use the 5 SunSmart steps to protect your skin and eyes
– available in multiple languages from
SunSmart
External Link
, Cancer Council Victoria
Baby teeth are important: tooth tips 0-12 months (pdf)
(available in multiple languages),
Dental Health Services
Victoria
External Link
Toddlers on the move: 9 to 18
months
External Link
(available in multiple languages), Kidsafe Victoria.
What is my baby doing at this key age and stage?
At this key age and stage, your baby is learning about their world by touching, tasting, smelling, listening, watching and moving around. They need lots of floor play and time on their tummy in a safe place. They might be:
sitting up by themselves, rolling and crawling
putting toys in their mouth
becoming a little worried about new faces
babbling or copying sounds you make
looking closely at objects.
What to tell your nurse
Please tell the nurse if your baby is:
NOT enjoying eye contact with you
NOT interested in sounds
NOT babbling
NOT able to roll.
Activity ideas for this age and stage
Try some of these ideas to help your baby learn and develop:
play peek-a-boo
play on the floor with them
take them for a walk outside and talk about what you see
visit a local playgroup
read aloud and share stories.
How often should I visit?
You will be asked to see your maternal and child health nurse at 10 key ages and stages in your child’s health, learning and development. These include:
following discharge from hospital (
home visit
)
two weeks
four weeks
eight weeks
four months
eight months
one year
18 months
two years
three and a half years
.
Families can access the service at other times by telephone or through a centre visit. Most centres offer a range of times when families can access the service. They typically operate through scheduled appointments, open consultation sessions and some after-hours appointments.
Return to the Maternal and child health services main page
Where to get help
Your local maternal and child health
service
External Link
Your
GP (doctor)
Your local council early childhood and family
services
External Link
Maternal and Child Health Line
Tel:
13 22 29
– available 24 hours a day for the cost of a local call throughout Victoria
Aboriginal Health Service
(VAHS)
External Link
Tel.
03 9419 3000
Parentline
External Link
Tel.
13 22 89
Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS
National)
External Link
Tel.
131 450
– available (24 hours, 7 days a week) for callers who speak other languages.
National Relay
Service
External Link
(24 hours a day, every day) – Speak and listen Tel:
1300 555 727
, TTY Tel:
133 677
, SMS relay Tel:
0423 677 767
.