CCW: Parenting Tips>>Health Care




	Doctor and dental visits are important! Take your child to the doctor and dentist regularly. This will help prevent any illnesses or dental problems from taking place, and it will alert you early on if your child needs any specific medical attention. Because so much growth and development take place in the first 3 years of life, it is crucial to prevent, detect, and treat health problems at an early age to give your child a healthy, happy future. The first step in this process is to stay healthy while pregnant and to receive good prenatal care. Keep your developing baby safe from any toxins that could have lasting negative effects. This includes smoking and second-hand smoke, alcohol, drugs, and some medications (check with your doctor). It also means being aware of potentially dangerous foods, such as fish contaminated with mercury. The next step is finding a pediatrician or healthcare provider who you trust to take the best possible care of your child. Then, once your baby is born, you and your doctor will begin the check-ups and routines that keep your child healthy and strong. Regular check-ups are vital for your child's healthy development. Problems left undetected or untreated harm your child's ability to learn, communicate, and interact with other people. Regular doctor and dental check-ups are the keys to keeping your child's development on track. Developmental milestones Before your newborn leaves the hospital, he should have a physical exam and be tested for certain diseases such as sickle cell anemia and hyperthyroidism. Your baby's hearing should also be tested. Hearing loss is a condition that can be caught early on, but if left untreated, it may cause problems with your baby's speech, language, brain development, and mental health. You and your child should visit the doctor anywhere from 2 to 4 days after birth to 2 weeks after birth, depending on how soon you left the hospital, whether this is your first child, and whether there were any complications at birth. This begins the series of check-ups and immunizations that will keep your child's development on track. No child is too young to have an eye exam! Make sure your baby's vision is checked by 6 months of age. Eye problems caught early on often can be fixed. Gently clean your child's gums with a damp washcloth after feeding to keep them healthy. Take your child to the dentist when his first tooth comes in, usually between 6 and 12 months of age. Prevent tooth decay by not letting your child sleep with a bottle or with any sugary liquid lingering in his mouth. By 12 months, your child should be responding to his own name, smiling and imitating sounds, reaching for objects that he sees, crawling and exploring, and learning to stand on his own. If at any time during your child's development you have questions or feel your child is lagging behind significantly, talk to your doctor. By 18 months, your child should have received most of the basic vaccinations, but many need follow-up vaccines. For an immunization schedule, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics web site at http://www.cispimmunize.org/pro/2002_main.html. For more information, see Well-Baby Care, Vision Screening, Hearing Screening, Dental Health:What Every Parent Needs to Know, Safety, and Build Your Child's Defenses. <<back to infant parenting tips menu Doctor and dental visits are important! Your 2- to 3-year-old learns something new every day, from saying a new word to making a new friend. However, undetected health problems can interfere with this development. This age continues to be a critical time for you to catch any problems in your child's growth and development. While all children are unique and learn at different rates, if you feel your child is lagging behind significantly in any area of development, discuss your concerns with your pediatrician immediately. There are many ways you can encourage your child's healthy development and avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor: Keep your child safe from harm. Make sure your home is baby-proof and that emergency numbers are by the phone. Pay attention to what your child is eating. A nutritious, balanced diet is crucial to keeping your child healthy. Proper nutrition helps the immune system battle off illnesses, fuels muscle-building, powers the brain to think and learn, and keeps teeth and bones strong. Play with your child and encourage him to be active! This is how your child learns and grows stronger. Educate yourself. Know when your child should be reaching certain developmental milestones and pay attention to your child's progress. That way, you can encourage your child to reach the next step, and you will notice if your child is lagging behind. Developmental milestones Your child should have received most of the basic immunizations by this point, but many need follow-up vaccines. For an immunization schedule, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics web site at http://www.cispimmunize.org/pro/2002_main.html. By this age, your child should be walking, running, talking, learning to use the toilet, and becoming more independent each day. If you think your child is lagging behind significantly in any area, talk to your pediatrician. Your child should have almost a full set of teeth! Now is a great time to begin teaching your child to brush and floss his teeth. Make sure your child visits the dentist regularly-about every 6 months. By age 3½, your child's eyes should be checked again for any changes. Problems that are caught before the child's fourth birthday have a good chance of being corrected. However, the longer you wait, the more difficult it may be to correct some disorders. Making sure that your child's vision is healthy before he enters preschool or school will allow him to learn more easily and better appreciate the sights in the world around him. Your child should be able to feed himself with a spoon. Make sure he has a variety of healthy foods to choose from. For more information, see Well-Baby Care, Vision Screening, Hearing Screening, Introduction to Dental Health, Safety, and Build Your Child's Defenses. <<back to 2 to 3 years of age parenting tips menu Doctor and dental visits are important! Make sure you take your child to the doctor once a year and the dentist twice a year for check-ups. Continue to have your child's eyes and ears checked on a regular basis, too. These check-ups monitor your child's growth and development and check for problems that you might not be able to catch otherwise. While regular check-ups to the doctor and dentist are important, there are many things you can do to prevent unnecessary trips. Now that your child is becoming more active and trying new things, like riding a bicycle, make sure your child has the appropriate protection. Simple steps, like putting on a bicycle helmet, can prevent a long, painful, and completely avoidable trip to the emergency room. Encourage your child to brush and floss his teeth regularly to prevent extra trips to the dentist. Teach your child to wash his hands well and often. Now that your child is playing with others and may be spending time in child care or preschool, illnesses pass quickly from one child to the next. Hand-washing can lessen your child's exposure to germs. Developmental Milestones Your child should have a full set of baby teeth. Teaching your child to brush and floss regularly will encourage him to learn new skills and be independent. Plus, it prevents tooth decay and gum disease. Children who learn good oral hygiene when they are young are more likely to keep it up as they grow older. By 4 years of age, 75-80% of your child's speech should be understandable. While stumbling over sentences and mispronouncing words are part of learning to talk properly, if your child's speech is slurred or delayed significantly, discuss speech therapy with your pediatrician. Continue reading to and playing with your child. These activities stimulate your child's thinking and learning skills. Giving your child an intellectual jump-start helps your child learn more easily in school. Spending lots of quality time with your child also lets you monitor his progress and detect problems or delays quickly. For more information, see Well-Baby Care, Vision Screening, Hearing Screening, Introduction to Dental Health, Safety, and Build Your Child's Defenses. <<back to 4 to 5 years of age parenting tips menu