children s health issues
Preventive Health Care Visits in Children
Screening
Preventive visits should include a check of vision and hearing. Vision screening may begin at 3 years of age, if children are cooperative, but is recommended at 4 and 5 years of age. Parents should let the doctor know before then if they have any concerns about their child's vision. At this age, vision tests include the use of charts and testing machines. Hearing tests, after the newborn testing, typically begin at 4 years of age, but parents should let the doctor know before then if they have any concerns about their child's hearing. Some children may need to have their blood checked for Diagnosis or an Children who are at risk of having high cholesterol should have a blood test between the ages of 2 years and 10 years. Children at risk include those who have a family history of high cholesterol levels, heart attack, or stroke or have risk factors for heart disease (for example, diabetes, obesity, or high blood pressure). All children should have a cholesterol test at age 9 to 11 years and again at age 17 to 21 years. Children are screened for tuberculosis (TB) risk factors with a questionnaire at all well-child visits. Risk factors include exposure to TB, being born in or having traveled to areas of the world where TB is common (countries other than the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and Western and North European countries), having a family member with TB, and having parents or close contacts who are recent immigrants from an area where TB is common or who have recently been in jail. Those with risk factors then usually have Screening Tests for Tuberculosis done. The age of the child and various other factors determine whether other tests are done. 