The Top 10 Health Screenings for Children
Theoretically, if one keeps on top of a child’s health from day one by doing all the necessary checkups and screenings and dealing with all the health issues that come up, then you will end up with a very healthy adult. However, this is something that, although it should be done, is not always done diligently. Early on, when the child is a newborn and during the baby’s toddler years, screenings are much easier to have done, as they are pretty much recommended by the doctor. Early screening includes checking for conditions such as autism, heart defects, metabolic disorders, development delays among many others. Such checks are usually done very diligently, however, once the child reaches the school-going age, health screening and checks usually begin to occur a lot less frequently, and in some instances they stop completely for varying reasons. This children, typically between the age of 5 to 18 years of age should still be taken to have health screenings as a matter of importance and this article will look to highlight 10 of the most important health screenings that they need to get done.
Screening for obesity
This is a very important screening test especially if you take into account the fact that cases of child obesity are on the rise. It is done by taking the child’s height and weight and then calculating the body mass index, with all this assisting in finding out if the child is at their ideal weight. Obesity is a risk factor as far as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and other serious health conditions are concerned.
Blood pressure screening
This is yet another key health screening examination that children should have taken, as frequently as possible. This is because blood pressure is risk factor as far as serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease among others are concerned. Given its importance, it should be done for children and teens once every year.
Screening for vision
This is a very important screening test as issues with the vision of children may be a big hindrance as far as learning is concerned. This is because problems with vison can make it difficult for children to see white and black boards in class, printed materials such as books in class, computers among others. It should be done every year between the ages of 5 and 6 years of age, once every two years starting from 8 years of age to 12 years of age then once more when the child hits 15.
Screening for hearing
Just like vision, as is mentioned above, problems with hearing can also have a big impact as far as learning for the child is concerned as it may hinder the child’s ability to interact with teachers and other students. It may also hinder interaction at home with family members and friends. The folks over at frontlineer.com recommend that screening for hearing be done when the child hits 5, 6, 8 and then 10 years of age.
Screening for cholesterol
This is yet another very important health screening test as far as children are concerned, especially when you take into account the fact that high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease. As far as children are concerned, this screening should be done once between the ages of 9 and 11 years of age.
Dental screening
Yet another very important screening examination for children since it helps uncover issues such as cavities as well as misaligned, crooked and missing teeth. You should take your child for dental screening as soon as they hit 6 years of age, and thereafter every six months to get their teeth cleaned and every year to get their teeth X-rayed, as per the subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com.
Screening for STIs
This is a very important screening test especially when it comes to teens, typically between the ages of 16 and 18 years of age. This is because at this age, they are usually sexually active and we all know STIs can cause infertility if not addressed and are allowed to spread. Screening should be for STIs such as HIV, HPV, genital herpes, chlamydia among others.
Screening for depression
Depression can be rife, especially among teenagers and can lead to issues such as sleep issues, suicidal thoughts and other medical conditions or even make preexisting conditions worse. It is therefore important to keep an eye out for your child and their behavior as well as taking then for screening once every year starting from age 11 as per the subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com.
Screening for chronic health conditions
It is also very important to have your child for health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, scoliosis which is an abnormal curve of the spine among others, with certain risk factors and their presence dictating how frequently you should have the screening done.
Hepatitis C screening
This should be done anytime between the ages of 1 and 10 years for those children whose mothers are hepatitis c positive and is yet another very important screening test as is covered in detail over at frontlineer.com by the subject matter experts over there.
The above are the top 10 health screenings that should be done for children, with more on this and other related topics to be found over at frontlineer.com.
