The prenatal visit.

In their role as advocates for children and families, pediatricians are in an excellent position to support and guide parents during the prenatal period. Prenatal visits allow the pediatrician to gather basic information from parents, provide information and advice to them, and identify high-risk situations in which parents may need to be referred to appropriate resources for help. In addition, prenatal visits are the first step in establishing a relationship between the pediatrician and parents and help parents develop parenting skills. The prenatal visit may take several possible forms depending on the experience and preferences of the parents, competence and availability of the pediatrician, and provisions of the health care plan.