Mar 23 2008
Medical Checkups and Immunizations
Your child’s checkups at ages three and four were probably uneventful, at least from the child’s perspective. At five, however, school is on the horizon, and specific screening and immunization updates are due. Find out about local school entrance requirements and your health-care provider’s routine for this exam, because a little preparation may soften some of the “sticker shock.” You don’t have to go into the gory details, but you might mention that this is a special visit and that the doctor is going to make sure that your child is ready for school.
Aside from the normal height, weight, vision, and hearing screening, and a head-to-toe exam, what else may happen?
- A urinalysis. A number of problems can be detected by an evaluation of urine, so make sure your child doesn’t urinate just prior to the visit.
- A blood test (usually by finger stick) to check for anemia.
- A skin test for tuberculosis (which may depend on school requirements, your location, and your child’s risk for exposure to this disease). This has probably been done at least once at a previous checkup, but your child may not remember it. The small prick on the forearm must be checked by the doctor if a firm bump develops at the site of the injection after forty-eight to seventy-two hours. A local reaction may indicate that your child has had contact with the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, although he may not have an active infection. Further testing will usually be necessary.
