Check-ups in children: how often should they be performed?
The health of a child is certainly an extremely important issue for every parent. We take care of them from the moment the baby is born. We take care of its proper physical and mental development. We try to react quickly to various disturbing symptoms that may be a signal of a developing disease. Unfortunately, it's not always that simple. Prophylaxis is certainly very helpful here - it is always better to prevent than to cure. In the following article, we suggest which testing package is best for younger children and which testing package is appropriate for adolescents.
Prevention: what kind of research package for children?
Performing age-appropriate preventive examinations is a way to obtain important information about the health of our child. At the same time, we can quickly detect abnormalities that are a signal of developing diseases, and this in turn helps to prevent their various complications.
Each child, up to the age of 18, is subject to regular health balances, which are carried out by a pediatrician. Their main goal is to assess whether the child's development is progressing properly and to detect possible diseases as early as possible. Such a balance should be supplemented with additional tests - blood and urine tests, imaging tests, i.e. ultrasound examinations, and consultations with other specialist doctors. Which test package for children is the best depends on the age of the child.
What blood tests should I do preventively for a child?
Blood testswhich should be done prophylactically the child is primarily:
- morphology with smear;
- iron and ferritin levels;
- OB and CRP (acute phase protein) - indicators of inflammation in the body;
- ALAT and AST - transaminases or liver enzymes;
- creatinine - parameter for assessing kidney function.
Remember, however, that not only what blood tests should be performed prophylactically for a child should be of interest to us, parents. The set of preventive examinations also includes general urine test. Another study worth doing is also abdominal ultrasound examination. It allows you to detect changes that the doctor is not able to find on abdominal palpation.
Expert advises
Each child should also be periodically examined by a dentist and an ophthalmologist. The orthopedic assessment, which is compulsory in infancy, should also be continued later in life. Early rehabilitation, to which the doctor will refer you, after finding the child with abnormalities, can prevent posture defects. To the list containing an indication of what blood tests should be performed prophylactically for a child, we should add the level of glucose and thyroid hormones. These tests are primarily performed when a family history of chronic diseases, such as thyroid disease or diabetes, is already established.
What tests for parasites in a child?
If you are wondering what tests for parasites in a child should be performed in the case of suspected parasitic infection, it is best to consult your pediatrician. The doctor will decide on the appropriate diagnosis.
It is worth mentioning, however, that in the case of suspicion of a parasitic infection, Usually, a stool test is performed to find or exclude the presence of parasites in the child's body. The laboratory analyzes the samples under a microscope to detect the presence of parasites. If lamblia is suspected, an enzymatic fecal examination can also be performed, in which we look for the lamblia protein.
Research package for teenagers: what tests should a teenager do?
During this period, the young person's body grows intensively. This can result in a deficiency of various nutrients, the lack of which leads to many disease states or problems with concentration and attention. A test pack for teens that is worth doing is:
- Blood morphology with a smear;
- Inflammatory indicators, i.e. OB and CRP;
- Calcium, Phosphorus, ALP level of alkaline phosphatase - bone mineralization assessment;
- Parameters assessing the liver, i.e. AST and ALAT and bilirubin levels;
- Kidney Assessment - Creatinine;
- Urinalysis;
- Thyroid hormones - TSH and FT4;
- Level glucose and insulin;
- Level vitamin D3.
Just like at a younger age, an abdominal ultrasound scan should be included in the test package for adolescents. You should also visit regularly dentist or ophthalmologist.
Expert advises
Teenagers may also experience problems related to hormonal changes in adolescence. It is necessary to talk about this with a pediatrician who will refer our child to an endocrinologist or gynecologist. More specialized hormonal tests are not worth doing alone. A specialist doctor, after a thorough interview, will choose the ones that are most appropriate for our child.
Do not forget to check with a dermatologist
They are also an important problem of recent years skin changes, i.e. pigmented moles. Prophylaxis is also very important here. The sharp sun, which we do not always use safely, causes the number of birthmarks to increase rapidly in some of our children. Sometimes it is a family tendency.
Periodic check-up by a dermatologist is therefore essential. We will obtain information on which birthmarks may turn out to be dangerous and should be removed.
Prevention is the key to health
It is always better to prevent than to cure, the old proverb says - preventive examinations are of great value. We do not always have to do everything ourselves - of course, this involves costs. Let's talk about your doubts about our child with your pediatrician, who may refer you to many of these tests.
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