Question

Health Assessment of the Toddler, Preschool, and School-Aged Child

Answer 1

Children will be assessed concerning their teeth, vision, hearing, child development, growth, nutrition immunizations and safety. Public health nurses will also take the opportunity to discuss topics such as literacy and depression.

The assessment will support the healthy growth and development of young children by:
• providing early screening and assessment;
• promoting healthy lifestyle practices and behaviours;

A toddler is a child 12 to 36 months old.^[The toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development.

• Physical: growth or an increase in size.
• Gross motor: the control of large muscles which enable walking, running, jumping and climbing.
• Fine motor: the ability to control small muscles; enabling the toddler to feed themselves, draw and manipulate objects.
• Vision: the ability to see near and far and interpret what is seen.
• Hearing and speech: the ability to hear and receive information and listen (interpret), and the ability to understand and learn language and use it to communicate effectively.^{[citation needed]}
• Social: the ability to interact with the world through playing with others, taking turns and fantasy play.

Preschool children health assesment should include the following

• Personal, social, economic and emotional development
• Communication (including sign language), talking and listening
• World knowledge and understanding
• Creative and aesthetic development
• Mathematical awareness
• Physical development
• Physical health
• Play
• Teamwork
• Self-help skills
• Social skills
• Scientific thinking
• Literacy

Review Past Medical History/Family Medical History (PMH/FMH):

Include appropriate information, including dates of hospitalizations/surgeries if possible, ages/illnesses of relatives.

Allergies:

Include drug, food, and environmental allergies and patient's reaction

Social History:

Include who lives at home, who cares for the child/daycare, smoke exposure, pets

Nutritional Assessment:

Liquid intake: (water/milk/other such as juice and sugary drinks)
Food groups consumed:
Discuss portion sizes:

Mental Health Assessment:

Include: Sleep, Family stresses, Parenting needs, Child abuse risk, Behavior challenges