Children’s Health
- Well-Child Visits
What is a well-child visit?
Well-child care visits are important opportunities for your doctor to monitor your child’s development and screen for problems and risk factors.
Each visit includes:
• A complete physical examination.
• Height and weight, and other important information is recorded and considered.
• Hearing, vision, and other tests will be a part of some visits.
• Laboratory tests including lead screening (children under 3 years or as needed for older children)
• Medical referrals to specialists, if needed.
How often does my child need a well-child visit?
• 3 years to 11 years-every year
Why should I schedule well-child visit appointments?
Because childhood is a time of rapid growth and change, well-child visits will help your child’s doctor to assess changes in their general health, growth and development.
Why should I have my child immunized?
To insure that your child does not catch a preventable disease, it is important that you schedule an appointment with the doctor to make sure that your child receives the necessary immunizations.
Why should my child be tested for lead poisoning?
Lead, a naturally occurring substance, can be toxic when taken into the body through breathing, eating, or drinking. It can affect every part of your child’s body. At high levels, it can cause death. All children age 12 months and 24 months need to be tested for lead poisoning.
Your child’s doctor will order a lead screening test during well-child visits.
For more information on well-child visits and immunizations, click on these websites:
> Healthy Children Visit Schedule
> Alliance for Immunization in Michigan
> Centers for Disease Control & Prevention:
If you would like more information about children’s health, please call 313-871-7815, or click here for responses by email.
- Lead Screening
What causes lead poisoning?
Children are most often poisoned by lead dust and lead paint in older homes built before 1978. Lead dust can come from renovations of older homes that originally used lead-based paint, opening and closing windows, and through normal wear and tear of painted areas. Lead dust settles to the floor and gets on children’s hands and toys. It enters their bodies when they put their hands or toys into their mouths.
How can I tell if my child has been lead poisoned?
A lead-poisoned child may seem healthy or have any of the following signs:
• Learning and behavior problems
• Tiredness
• Headaches
• Hearing problems
• Weight loss
• Hyperactivity
• Irritability
When should my child be tested for lead poisoning?
Many children have blood lead tests as part of their regular care by a doctor or clinic. Children should be tested for lead poisoning at one and two years of age.
What else can I do to protect my child?
• Wash your child’s hands, bottles, pacifiers and toys often.
• Test the soil your child plays in.
• Make sure children eat healthy foods and snacks such as lean meat, chicken, turkey and fish, milk, low-fat cheese, yogurt, broccoli, collard and turnip greens, oranges or grapefruits, orange or grapefruit juice, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. Low-fat milk and foods are best for children over the age of two.
• Have your home checked for lead hazards.
• Keep floors, windowsills and other surfaces dust and dirt free.
• Take off shoes when entering the house.
• Talk to your landlord about fixing peeling or chipping paint.
• Take precautions to avoid exposure to lead dust when remodeling or renovating.
• Don’t use a power sander, open flame torch, and heat gun above 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, dry scraper, or sandpaper on painted surfaces that may contain lead.
• Use very cold tap water for drinking and cooking.
• Learn how to remove lead-based paint safely.
How can I prevent or remove lead from my home?
Take steps now to protect your children from lead poisoning-call your local health department for information regarding how to remove the lead in your home, or contact the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lead Hazard Remediation Program at (517) 335-9390.
For more information about lead, visit these websites:> http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Brogan2002ProgramBrochure_71285_7.pdf
> http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips.htm
> http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/leadpoisoning.html
- Toddler’s Corner: 2 – 4 Years of Age
Activities to promote your child’s health
• Are your child’s “shots” up to date? If they are, your child won’t need any more shots until the age of 4.
• Offer your child a variety of healthy foods every day.
• Brush your child’s teeth at least once a day with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
• Help your child enjoy active games like catch, tag, and hide-and-seek. Give him/her simple toys to play with like blocks, crayons and paper, and stuffed animals.
• Offer water instead of sweet drinks with snacks. It is a healthy drink. Your child still needs about two cups of milk every day.
Activities to keep your child safe
• Keep cleaning supplies and medicine locked up and out of reach.
• Keep matches and lighters out of reach.
• Make sure your child uses a helmet whenever he/she rides a tricycle, scooter, or other toys with wheels.
• Booster car seats are for big kids! Use a booster in the back seat with lap/shoulder belts until your child is tall enough for adult seat belts.
• Make sure your child knows their address and telephone number. Teach them how to call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
• Teach your child to stop, drop, and roll on the ground if their clothes catch on fire.
• Make sure any guns in the home are unloaded and locked up.
For more information about what you can do to help your child stay healthy and safe, visit websites:> http://www.cdc.gov/parents/children/index.html
> http://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/toddler/Pages/default.aspx
- Children’s Corner: Ages 5 – 11 Years of Age
Activities to promote child health
• Continue to take your child for a check-up each year with a doctor or nurse.
• Make sure your child receives a dental check up every six months.
• Encourage your child to enjoy books by reading together. Let him/her practice reading simple books to you.
• Continue to read books to your child. Visit the library to pick out exciting storybooks.
• Keep healthy snacks available. Your child needs fruit, vegetables, juice, and whole grains for growth and energy.
• You and your child should exercise 20-30 minutes each day. This is an important habit for your child to learn.
Activities to keep your child safe
• Have family safety practices in your house; test the smoke alarm and change the batteries when needed; have fire drills and practice escape routes and crawling under the smoke.
• Make sure your child wears a helmet when using bikes, skates, inline skates, scooters, and skateboards.
• Practice safe walking and bike riding. Have your child teach you how to watch for cars and cross with the light.
For more information about what you can do to help your child stay healthy and safe, visit websites:> http://www.cdc.gov/parents/children/index.html
> http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/Pages/default.aspx
