Well Baby Check Ups: From Infants To Tots

Emphasizing that preventative care can forestall later emergency care, Well Baby Check-Ups outlines a recommended schedule of visits, evaluations, tests, and immunizations for children from birth to two years of age. But while the impulse is good, the overall usefulness is questionable. Interviews with pediatricians are mixed with scenes of check-ups, while overlaid narration informs viewers about newborn screening tests, childhood cancer, lead poisoning, and the importance of immunizations. To be told that your baby will be tested for "thyroid hormone levels" is not particularly helpful if there's no accompanying explanation of what the test is or what it does. Parents will "hear" about a lot of routine testing that infants undergo; they're unlikely to "learn" much, however, and the comments about lead poisoning and cancer (which claims about 10 babies in a million) are needlessly alarming. On the other hand, some parents want to find out about everything they can, and this tape will certainly give them a few more questions to ask their pediatricians. An optional purchase. (R. Pitman)