Baby Health Checks in Australia: The Schedule by State and What Happens at Each Visit

Baby health checks in Australia are free visits with a child health nurse or GP, typically at birth, 1 to 4 weeks, 6 to 8 weeks, 4 months, 6 months and 12 months, then 18 months and 2 years. Each state sets its own ages and record book. Every visit measures growth and asks about development, feeding and sleep.

This guide lists the visit ages each state or territory publishes, what a nurse does at a check, what to bring, and the questions that come up at the 4 month and 6 month visits. It also covers the first home visit, the 6 to 8 week check and the numbers to have ready.

It is the companion to our baby milestones by age checklist, which covers what most babies are doing at each of these ages.

How many health checks does a baby have in the first year?

Most babies in Australia have around six scheduled health checks in the first year, then one at 18 months and one at 2 years. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) gives the national pattern as birth, 1 to 4 weeks, 6 to 8 weeks, 4 months, 6 months and 12 months, followed by 18 months, 2 years, 3 years and 4 years or before school.

The checks are free through the child health nurse service, and a GP can do them too. Some parents attend every visit, and some skip a few once they feel confident. Babies who were born early, who are growing slowly or who have a health condition are often seen more frequently, and the nurse will suggest a plan.

Each state and territory publishes its own list of visit ages, which is why the schedule in your baby's record book may differ from a friend's interstate. The next section lists what each state's own health service publishes.

Which visits does each state schedule in the first two years?

The table below lists only the visit ages each state's own health service publishes online. Where a service does not publish a schedule, the row says so, because the local clinic is the right place to confirm it.

Three things stand out in the table. The 4 month visit is on the schedule in Victoria, WA and the ACT, while NSW skips from 6 to 8 weeks straight to 6 months, and SA folds 6 months into a 6 to 9 month window. Every service in the table describes its checks as free. And every state issues a record book, whatever its colour, that travels with your baby to each visit.

Child and Adolescent Health Service WA · Child Health appointments

Every child in WA gets five free child health appointments with a child health nurse.

Interstate moves are common in the first two years. NSW Health(opens in a new window) issues a free Blue Book to children born elsewhere who now live in NSW, and other services will usually enrol a new arrival at the next age on their own list.

What happens at a baby health check?

A nurse or GP weighs and measures your baby, examines them head to toe, asks about feeding, sleep and development, and checks that immunisations are on track. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) describes the same shape at every age, with a few extras at certain visits such as hips and eyes.

Weight, length and head circumference

Three measurements are taken at most visits: weight, length and head circumference. They are plotted on the WHO growth charts for birth to 2 years(opens in a new window), the same charts printed in your record book. A single measurement matters less than the line it draws over successive visits, which is the whole subject of our guide to baby growth charts and percentiles.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby · Routine health checks

What's important is the pattern of growth over time and how the baby is 'tracking' along the same or a different curve.

Development questions

Most record books ask you to answer a short set of development questions before each visit. In NSW they sit under the heading Learn the Signs, Act Early, and the Blue Book(opens in a new window) includes them at every check from 2 months. Victoria uses the PEDS-R questions in the green book(opens in a new window), and the ACT's Blue Book(opens in a new window) has a series of questions to complete before each check. The nurse then watches your baby move, communicate and relate to people, and may set up small activities to see a skill in action.

Hearing and vision

Hearing and vision are part of the check from the first visit. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) lists both as tested during the baby checks, and WA's appointment guide(opens in a new window) shows the nurse checking eyes and vision at 8 weeks and 4 months, and asking about vision and hearing at 12 months. In NSW the newborn hearing screen (SWISH) is a separate program, and its result is recorded in the Blue Book.

Immunisation timing

Several checks fall close to a vaccination age on the National Immunisation Program, and the nurse will ask whether your baby is up to date. The routine childhood vaccines are free under the program(opens in a new window), although a clinic may charge a consultation fee.

The 2 month vaccines can be given from 6 weeks of age. Source: Immunisation for infants and children(opens in a new window), Australian Government Department of Health. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children with certain medical conditions are offered extra vaccines.

Feeding, sleep and how you are going

Expect questions about how feeds are going, how your baby sleeps and settles, and how you are. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) notes the nurse or GP will also ask about you, and the WA guide opens every appointment with 'check how you are feeling'. These questions are easier to answer with a recent picture in mind rather than a memory of the last blurry fortnight.

If sleep is the worry, the nurse may ask you to keep a sleep diary. Our guide to keeping a baby sleep diary shows what to record, with the 24-hour grid and a filled example day.

What to bring to a baby health check

Bring the record book, a short list of questions, and a note of the last week or two of feeds, sleeps and nappies. Three items cover almost everything a nurse asks for.

• The record book. The NT Government(opens in a new window) asks families to take the yellow book to every health appointment, immunisation, GP and hospital visit, and the same applies to the Blue, Purple and green books. The nurse records the measurements and the assessment in it, and it is where you fill in the development questions beforehand.
• Your questions, written down. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) suggests using the record book to note questions or concerns and raising them at the appointment. Three or four written questions survive a crying baby better than a mental list.
• A note of feeds and sleeps. Feeding and sleep come up at every visit, and 'how often is she feeding?' is hard to answer from memory when two people share the nights. A tally of the last fortnight, whether on paper or from an app you already log in, turns a guess into a number. If you track wet nappies as well, bring that count too.

Arrive a few minutes early if the book's development questions are not yet filled in. The ACT service notes the nurse can help with any question you are unsure how to answer. For the first two checks, the numbers to have ready list below says what to count.

Seeing the GP because your baby is unwell, not for a scheduled check? Our sick baby log covers what to write down: temperatures, feeds, wet nappies and every medicine given.

What happens at the first home visit and the 1 to 4 week check?

The first child health visit usually happens within the first four weeks, often at home. The nurse weighs your baby, examines them head to toe, and asks how feeding and sleep are going, and how you are.

healthdirect(opens in a new window) notes that in some states the first appointment is in your home. It suggests asking your midwife or doctor whether you need to book it or the clinic will contact you.

• NSW: First visit at 1 to 4 weeks, usually in the family home (NSW Health Blue Book(opens in a new window)).
• Victoria: First visit soon after you leave hospital, then visits at 2 and 4 weeks. A nurse from your local service usually comes to your home for the first visit (Better Health Channel(opens in a new window)).
• WA: First visit usually before 14 days. A child health nurse contacts you; appointments are at home, a child health centre or a community venue (Child and Adolescent Health Service(opens in a new window)).
• SA: First visit at 1 to 4 weeks, shortly after you leave hospital, at home or a clinic. Call 1300 733 606 if you have not heard by 4 weeks (Child and Family Health Service(opens in a new window)).
• ACT: First visit at 0 to 4 weeks. Book on MyDHR or call Central Health Intake on (02) 5124 9977 (Canberra Health Services(opens in a new window)).
• Queensland, Tasmania, NT: Check with your local service. In Queensland, call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) to find your nearest child health centre (Queensland Government(opens in a new window), Tasmanian Department of Health(opens in a new window), NT Government(opens in a new window)).

After the first visit, you usually book the later checks with your local child health centre, by phone or online, such as MyDHR in the ACT. Most Victorian centres run scheduled appointments and open consultation sessions. The Maternal and Child Health Line(opens in a new window) on 13 22 29 lets you speak with a nurse at any hour.

What the nurse checks at the first visit

The NSW Blue Book(opens in a new window) check sheet for 1 to 4 weeks lists weight, length and head circumference, the fontanelles (the soft spots on the head), eyes, the umbilicus, femoral pulses, a hip test for dislocation, genitalia, skin and reflexes. A doctor checks the heart.

WA's 0 to 14 day appointment(opens in a new window) covers weighing, the belly button, skin, head, mouth and eyes, with questions about vision and hearing. Victoria's 2 week visit(opens in a new window) adds an eye check with the red reflex test and a look at whether the newborn hearing screen is done.

SA's 1 to 4 week check(opens in a new window) weighs your baby, measures length and head circumference, and completes a physical check.

What gets talked about

The conversation matters as much as the measurements. The Blue Book topics for this visit run from feeding, safe sleeping and immunisations to crying, comforting your baby, the mother's rest and diet, and both parents' emotional health. Victoria describes its home visit(opens in a new window) as a chance for you and the nurse to get to know each other and talk about any concerns.

For what most babies are doing around this visit, see our 1 month baby milestones guide.

The Blue Book also asks you a few questions before the visit. Are you worried about your baby's hearing or vision? Does anyone smoke or vape around your baby? Do you put your baby on their back to sleep? And what has your baby had since this time yesterday: breast milk, formula, water or anything else?

What happens at the 6 to 8 week check?

At the 6 to 8 week check, a child health nurse, GP or paediatrician weighs and measures your baby, checks the eyes and hips, asks about feeding, sleep and early development, and confirms the first vaccinations are on track. A doctor checks the heart.

NSW and the ACT list it at 6 to 8 weeks. Victoria, WA and SA list it at 8 weeks.

What the nurse checks

The NSW Blue Book(opens in a new window) check sheet for this visit records:

• Growth. Weight, length and head circumference, each with a percentile on the WHO charts in your book.
• Eyes. A look at the eyes, the corneal light reflection, whether your baby fixes on a target, how each eye responds on its own, and eye movements.
• Hips. A hip test for dislocation.
• Heart. A cardiovascular check, which only a doctor does. If a nurse does the rest of the check, ask where the heart check happens.
• Testes. For boys, whether both testes have descended.
• Risk factors. Hearing, vision, hips and oral health, plus whether the vaccinations due by this age are done.

WA's 8 week appointment(opens in a new window) adds skin, head shape and mouth, and the nurse watches how your baby moves, communicates and relates to people. SA's 8 week check(opens in a new window) covers feeding, sleep and settling, safe sleep, immunisations and your family's emotional health. Victoria's 8 week visit(opens in a new window) adds a look at the hearing screen section of the green book.

Development and vaccinations

In NSW this is the first check with the Learn the Signs, Act Early list. At 8 weeks it asks whether your baby calms when picked up, looks at your face, smiles when you talk, makes sounds other than crying and holds their head up on their tummy.

Our 2 month baby milestones guide covers each skill. For weeks 5 to 7, including first smiles and the 6 week vaccines, see 6 week milestones.

NSW Health · My Personal Health Record (Blue Book), 8 weeks

If your baby is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills they once had, or you have other concerns, act early.

The Blue Book notes that the first scheduled vaccinations start at 6 weeks of age, which is why many families have them at or near this check. The vaccine table above lists what is given.

Your own health

The Blue Book's parent questions for this visit start with whether you have had your own postnatal check. The book also invites you to talk about how you are feeling, emotionally and physically.

If low mood or anxiety has lasted more than a few days, say so. healthdirect(opens in a new window) notes it can be a sign of postnatal depression, and your doctor or child health nurse can help.

Questions to ask at the 6 to 8 week check

Write these down before you go, and cross off any that do not apply:

• Is my baby's weight following their curve since birth? The line over several checks matters more than one number, as our guide to growth charts and percentiles explains.
• Are the feeds and nappies where they should be? The numbers in the next section answer this quickly.
• Is this much crying typical, and what helps? Crying and comforting your baby are on the Blue Book list for this visit.
• Which vaccines are due, and what reactions are common afterwards?
• My baby is not yet smiling, turning towards light or making eye contact. Is that worth watching? These are parent questions in the Blue Book at this age.
• Is our sleep set-up safe? Back-to-sleep is one of the Blue Book questions for this visit.
• How am I going? Your own health is part of this visit.

What numbers should you have ready at the early checks?

For the first visit and the 6 to 8 week check, have five numbers ready: feeds in 24 hours, wet nappies, dirty nappies, any weights since birth and a rough sleep pattern. Add your written questions. The Blue Book's feeding questions look back over the last 24 hours, so a 24 hour count is the easiest frame to bring.

Each item gives what to have ready at the first visit (1 to 4 weeks), then at the 6 to 8 week check, then a guide from Australian sources.

• Feeds in 24 hours: First visit: how many, and breast, bottle or both. 6 to 8 weeks: how many, and whether the pattern has changed. Guide: young breastfed babies feed 8 to 14 times or more in 24 hours (Australian Breastfeeding Association(opens in a new window)).
• Wet nappies in 24 hours: First visit: how many, from day 5. 6 to 8 weeks: how many. Guide: from day 5, at least 5 wet disposables or 6 very wet cloth nappies for a breastfed baby (Australian Breastfeeding Association(opens in a new window)).
• Dirty nappies in 24 hours: First visit: how many, and the colour. 6 to 8 weeks: how many, and any change. Guide: before 6 to 8 weeks, three or more runny poos a day for a breastfed baby (Australian Breastfeeding Association(opens in a new window)).
• Weights since birth: First visit: birth weight and any weigh-in since. 6 to 8 weeks: every weight since birth. Guide: the nurse measures weight, length and head circumference at both checks (NSW Blue Book(opens in a new window)).
• Sleep: First visit: where your baby sleeps and in what position. 6 to 8 weeks: roughly how many sleeps a day and the longest stretch. Guide: safe sleeping is on the list at both visits (NSW Blue Book(opens in a new window)).
• Your questions: First visit: written down. 6 to 8 weeks: written down, plus whether you have had your postnatal check. Guide: write questions down before check-ups so you do not forget them (healthdirect(opens in a new window)).

A count over several days tells the nurse more than one day's number, because feeds and nappies vary. If the nurse has asked you to keep a closer record between weigh-ins, the guide to keeping a baby feeding diary shows what to write down, with a filled 24-hour example.

Our guide to how many wet nappies a day sets out the count day by day, and night feeds by age covers the overnight side. If any number is well below the guide, raise it at the check, or sooner if you are worried.

When is the 4 month check, and what gets asked?

The 4 month check is scheduled in Victoria, WA and the ACT at around 4 months, and it sits alongside the 4 month vaccinations everywhere. In NSW and SA there is no separate visit at this age, and parents with questions at 4 months can book an extra appointment or ask at the immunisation visit.

At the WA 4 month appointment(opens in a new window) the nurse measures your baby, checks skin, head shape, eyes and hips, and looks at development across communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and social skills. Victoria's 4 month visit(opens in a new window) focuses on the green book questions, safe sleeping, food in the first year, play, immunisations and family wellbeing.

Questions parents often raise at this visit, drawn from what Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) and Victoria's visit guide say to mention:

• Is it typical that my baby is not rolling yet? Many babies are only starting to try at 4 months.
• Is tummy time going well enough? Around 30 minutes across the day in short sessions is the usual aim.
• Do I need to do anything about sleep? Sleep patterns that worry you are worth naming.
• Is my baby responding to sounds and making sounds? Both are on the list to tell the nurse about if the answer is no.
• What about solids? Around 6 months is the usual start.

The 4 month vaccinations bring their own questions about side effects and timing, and the nurse can answer those on the day.

What happens at the 6 month check?

The 6 month check reviews growth and development at the point where solids, sitting, rolling and teething all tend to arrive, and it coincides with the 6 month vaccinations. It is a scheduled visit in NSW and the ACT, falls inside SA's 6 to 9 month window, and in Victoria the nearest visits are at 4 and 8 months.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) describes a 6 month old who can push up on straight arms, often sits with support, may pass toys from hand to hand, turns to their name and is starting on solids. The Raising Children Network(opens in a new window) adds babbling, rolling both ways and the first signs of separation anxiety. Our 6 month baby milestones guide covers the full picture for this age.

Questions parents often ask at the 6 month check, based on the concern lists in both sources:

• Is my baby sitting and rolling on track? Not trying to roll on the floor, or not sitting with help, are the movement signs to mention.
• How do I start solids, and what about allergy foods? Iron-rich foods first, and talk to the nurse before common allergy foods if there is a family history of allergy.
• Is this teething? Many babies start around 6 to 7 months, and very uncomfortable teething is worth raising.
• Is sleep usually more settled by now? Some babies seem more settled in eating and sleep over the next month or two, and some do not.
• Is my baby responding to their name and making new sounds? Squeals, growls and raspberries are typical, and no new sounds is a sign to raise.

At any age, a skill your baby had and has stopped doing is worth a conversation with the nurse or GP.

A health check is a snapshot. The record book, and your own notes between visits, are what turn snapshots into a line.

Between visits

Six months is a long gap between the 6 to 8 week check and the next one in NSW, and a lot happens in it. The nurse asks about the whole stretch, and the honest answer for most of us is a shrug and 'pretty good, I think'.

If you already log the day in BabyLog, the feed, sleep and nappy counts in the numbers list come from the free logs. On Pro, a checkup report turns the weeks before a visit into one summary of feeds, sleeps, nappies, growth and milestones, and near a visit age the builder suggests a date range to cover. You share it as a private link with a code or as a PDF, and it sits beside the Blue Book rather than replacing it.

See how milestones feed into it on the developmental app page.

Common questions