The Savvy Patient - Age-Appropriate Care Key to Child’s Well-Being

Guidelines help parents ensure regular health exams focus on key areas

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Guidelines help parents ensure regular health exams focus on key areas

In this week’s installment of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s “Savvy Patient” column, Scripps Health provides insight on guidelines to child health screenings.


As parents know keeping their children healthy is a top priority. Regular scheduled doctor’s exams can help contribute to a child’s health and well-being. But how do moms and dads know their kids are being checked for the right things at the right time?


Some key screenings for parents to be aware of during age-appropriate visits could include:


• Infancy (to 9 months): Children during this period are screened for metabolic and blood problems, development, hearing and oral health.


• Early childhood (1 to 4 years): Screenings during this time frame include anemia, lead exposure, autism, and vision and hearing.


• Middle childhood (5 to 10 years): Medical exams will include regular vision and hearing screens. While other risk-associated screenings will continue, including oral health, TB and lead.


• Adolescence to young adulthood (11 to 21 years): Annual checkups now begin to include screens for reproductive and sexual health issues, as well as alcohol and drug use.


Read the full article for more: Age-appropriate care key to child’s well-being

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