While in the womb, your baby is protected from most illnesses, but once out in the big wide world, he or she has to build up immunity to various diseases.
As a parent, it's your responsibility to do all you can to keep your baby healthy and happy.
It's very important to take your new baby for regular check-ups at the clinic. Even if the baby is fit and healthy, he or she needs to be checked by a nursing sister every few weeks, just to make sure everything is developing as it should - especially if it's your first baby, and you don't really know what to watch for.
The clinic staff can also give you good advice on baby care in general, and help you with any questions or problems you might have, such as how much to feed your baby or what to do if they get a rash, or when they're teething.
At the clinic the sister will remove your baby's clothing and weigh him or her. She will also compare your baby's rate of growth against the birth weight.
The baby's length, as well as the size of the head, will be measured on the first visit. All these measurements will be recorded on your baby's chart.
Vaccinations
It is also important that your baby is immunised (vaccinated) against certain dangerous childhood diseases. The clinic staff will tell you when your baby has to have each vaccination.
Eyes and ears
Over the months, the clinic sister will look out for certain milestones in development. At the six-weeks visit, she will test your little one's eyesight by checking if your baby is able to fix on objects (such as an adult face) with his eyes.
She will also swing something in front of his eyes to see if he can follow movement with his eyes.
When she tests your baby's hearing, the sister will see if he responds to various sounds, such as a bell ringing and a human voice. This is to check that there is nothing wrong with the infant's ears.
The sister will also listen to the gurgling noises and sounds he makes, to check how his speech is progressing (believe it or not, even at this early stage your baby's noises are the beginnings of speech!).