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Regular medical checkups are essential for monitoring your child's health. The checkup performed by the maternity ward or pediatrician should continue from the age of 3 or 4. As with adults, this checkup should be scheduled once a year. What tests should you plan to ensure nothing is left to chance? We've listed the ones you shouldn't skip, for the well-being of your little one.
Possible sensory disturbances
Sensory disorders don't just affect adults. Very young children also suffer from these health problems in large numbers. An initial assessment allows the pediatrician to identify any vision problems or hearing impairments.
If a problem is detected, they can then refer you to an optician , ophthalmologist, or ENT specialist. Sensory processing issues should be taken very seriously. If left untreated, they will affect your child's ability to communicate.
Incidentally, they will also impact their development. Ideally, they should therefore be able to be addressed before the child starts school.
The condition of the teeth
Your child's dental development should also be monitored. Checking their dental health can help prevent cavities and breakage. A dental checkup also helps detect dental malpositions as early as possible. Treated early, these skeletal or alveolar anomalies can be easily corrected.
An orthodontist will offer solutions tailored to underdeveloped jaws or overdeveloped jaws. Corrections are not just aesthetic; they will contribute to your child's dental health as they grow.
Psychomotor difficulties
With schooling comes new areas of learning. Your child may then experience difficulties that are not common to other students. If these difficulties are significant, the pediatrician may suspect psychomotor delay.
Although concern is common, the doctor will invariably recommend consulting a pediatric neurologist. Depending on the child's condition and the pediatrician's findings, apprehension may be legitimate. Since the severity of the delay varies from case to case, the pediatric neurologist will be the only professional who can provide truly appropriate care.
The vaccination schedule
Often overlooked, the vaccination schedule is nevertheless the primary guarantor of the health of very young children. It is scheduled by the Ministry of Health and must be scrupulously followed. While some are mandatory, others are only recommended.
For very young children, following the vaccination schedule provides a minimum level of individual protection. It remains the simplest and most effective way to protect them against serious infectious diseases.
In the long run, up-to-date vaccinations prevent exposure to epidemics with serious consequences. Mandatory vaccinations include those against mumps and rubella, tetanus, and pneumococcus.
Weight and eating habits
In very young children, marked thinness or excess weight generally indicates poor eating habits. A medical assessment should therefore assess their eating habits and possibly correct them.
The doctor's goal is to help the patient adopt a balanced diet. Ultimately, this treatment will help the patient regain a healthy weight appropriate for their condition and age.
