Child health check (0–5 years)

Healthy early childhood and teenage years are important in shaping brain development and future health, particularly reducing risk of chronic conditions. Annual health checks are important to identify and act early on any factors that lead to poor health now and in the future — encourage carers to bring children for regular health checks

• Follow your health service policies and procedures for all health checks
• Children learn new skills (milestones) in a step-by-step predictable way over time - with some differences in rate or timing of skill development
• An understanding of developmental milestones is needed for carers to create a nurturing and stimulating environment to help children to learn
• Best practice is to use a validated developmental screening tool to assess development. Refer to child health nurse if not trained, respond to carer concerns and check developmental concerns red flags — see Child development concerns (0-5 years)
• Talk to carers about normal development at routine child health checks
• Support carers to attend community programs that promote child development (eg childcare and preschool)
• Medical/child health consult for any concerns

Preterm (born before 37 weeks) and/or low birth weight (less than 2500g) babies

• Chronological age — age from birth date (current age)
• Corrected gestational age — age is corrected for prematurity — used until 2 years old. Subtract the number of weeks baby was born preterm from the number of weeks since born (eg for a baby born at 28 weeks gestation (12 weeks preterm), chronological age is 15 weeks, corrected age is 3 weeks (15 weeks minus 12 weeks)
• Immunisations given based on chronological age. Check immunisation schedule — extra vaccines may be needed
• Screening for anaemia done at chronological age — check schedule
• Developmental assessment correct for gestational age until 2nd birthday
• Growth chart analysis use corrected gestational age until 2nd birthday. Monitor growth more often — discuss with child health nurse
• Introduction of solids check for developmental readiness — see Infant and child nutrition
• Supplements
• Give Pentavite multivitamin supplement from birth to one year, oral 0.45mL daily
• Give oral iron supplement from one month to one year — see Anaemia in children

 Attachment styles

• Child health and development is set within family and community
• Social factors, including responsiveness of carers, influence child’s brain development and future health behaviours like risk taking
• Look for signs of secure attachment — child wants to be close to carer especially if scared or upset — talk to child health nurse about any concerns and assess carer mood — see Perinatal depression and anxiety
• Guide carers in responsive parenting — sensitive, reliable and consistent with providing care when child wants attention, but allows space for safe exploration and age appropriate independence

Scheduled health checks

Birth to 8 weeks

• See Postnatal care of baby
• Medical consult at 8 weeks
• Check preterm and Low Birth Weight  (LBW) baby has multivitamin and iron supplements prescribed and is taking them
• Give immunisations

  4 months -5 years