Examinations that should be done after the age of 5
Child Health and Diseases, Social Pediatrics Specialist Assoc. Dr. Selda Karaayvaz, Assoc. Dr. Selda Karaayvaz talked about 10 critical examinations after the age of 5 and made important warnings and suggestions.
Dental check-up
Every child should be taken to the dentist at least once a year during the pre-school period, and dental caries should be treated. Before schools open, dental examination should be done. In recent years, in the declarations published by the World Health Organization and the World Dental Association; It is stated that oral and dental health is associated with many diseases from cardiovascular diseases to diabetes. It is emphasized that oral health plays a very important role in the treatment of these diseases. It is imperative that parents set a good example for their children in oral and dental care.
Hearing test
Mild to moderate hearing loss in children is an important health problem that is often not noticed. Many factors, from respiratory tract infections to the habit of listening to loud music, can predispose to hearing loss. Deafness can negatively affect the child’s language and speech, concentration, mental development and school success. For this reason, you should definitely apply to an ENT specialist before school and have a hearing test, especially at the age of 5 years.
Cholesterol measurement
Cholesterol is now a health problem that can be seen in children. It can be genetic, as well as unhealthy diet, increased blood fat as a result of junk food consumption habits can cause damage to the veins and early onset of hardening from the age of 9 years. In particular, the blood lipid levels of children who have high cholesterol and triglyceride levels in first-degree relatives, who have a heart attack, heart spasm under 55 years of age, and family members who need angiography should be checked. These children with familial risk should be examined at the earliest age of 2 and diet with low-fat products should be started. Universal blood lipid screening is recommended for every child after 8 years of age. In this way, the development of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented.
Eye exam
In our country, one out of every four school-age children has eye diseases. Since the problem can not be noticed easily, every child should have an eye examination starting from the age of 3. After starting primary school, regular examinations should be continued. Otherwise, the problem that can be detected early and easily solved can get into a difficult process when time is wasted, and it also affects the school success of the child. It can cause many additional problems, from headaches and fatigue to anxiety and having an accident.
Blood count
Assoc. Dr. Selda Karaayvaz said, “Since iron deficiency or related anemia is a common health problem in children in our country, it is recommended to examine iron stores together with a complete blood count. At least one blood count should be done between the ages of 6-14. If it is not recognized and treated early, it can cause frequent infections, weakness, fatigue, physical and mental development retardation, and a decrease in school success.
Spinal curvature examination
Today, factors such as children spending a long time in front of tablets and computers from a young age, wrong posture, use of heavy and wrong backpacks can cause waist, neck and back pain. In addition, the examination is important in terms of early diagnosis of spinal curvatures called scoliosis, which are mostly detected in adolescence, and to check whether there are problems such as movement defects in the joints.
Obesity
Obesity, an epidemic disease of the modern age, is one of the biggest risks children face today. Obesity, which can trigger conditions such as insulin resistance, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, negatively affects the physical health of the child, as well as his mental health, social life and school success. It is very important to give nutrition education to children in terms of the harms of sugary food and carbohydrate consumption both in the family and at school.
Allergy
In recent years allergy.It is among the most common diseases in children. Since allergic symptoms can often be confused with colds and upper respiratory tract infections, time can be lost. However, it is of great importance to apply to an allergist and start the right treatment as soon as possible.
