From the Guidelines
An annual health check for a seven-year-old girl should include a comprehensive history-taking, physical examination, nutritional assessment, and developmental assessment, as well as screenings for vision, hearing, and cognitive development. The most recent and highest quality study, 1, provides guidance on the management of children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, but its recommendations can be applied to general pediatric care. Key components of the annual health check should include:
- Measuring height, weight, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI) to track growth patterns and screen for potential issues like obesity or growth delays
- Vision and hearing screenings to identify any problems that might affect learning
- A complete physical examination including heart, lungs, abdomen, skin, and musculoskeletal system
- Developmental and behavioral assessments to evaluate social skills, school performance, and emotional well-being
- Review of vaccination status, with possible updates including the annual influenza vaccine and completion of any series started earlier
- Discussions about nutrition, physical activity, screen time limits, dental care, and safety measures like proper car seat use and water safety
- Assessment of cognitive development, academic functioning, and child psychiatry, including language domains with standardized measures, as recommended by 1
- Evaluation of hearing using audiogram +/– tympanometry, as recommended by 1
- Endocrinological assessment, including PTH, calcium, magnesium, creatinine, TSH, and free T4, as recommended by 1
- Complete blood count and differential, as recommended by 1 In contrast, the study 1 provides guidance on cardiovascular health and risk reduction in children and adolescents, but its recommendations are more focused on monitoring and managing cardiovascular risk factors, rather than providing a comprehensive approach to annual health checks. Therefore, the recommendations from 1 are more relevant to the question at hand.
From the Research
Annual Health Check for a Seven-Year-Old Child
At an annual health check for a seven-year-old child, the following aspects should be considered:
- Review of vaccination history:
- The child should have already received the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP), inactivated poliovirus (IPV), measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), varicella (V), and influenza vaccines as recommended for 4-6 year old children 2.
- The safety of the DTaP-IPV vaccine has been assessed, and no significant increased risk of serious adverse events was found 3.
- Physical examination:
- Height and weight measurements to monitor growth and development.
- Blood pressure check.
- Vision and hearing screening.
- Discussion of health and development:
- Assessment of the child's developmental milestones.
- Discussion of any concerns or issues raised by the parents or child.
Vaccination Schedule
The vaccination schedule for a seven-year-old child may include:
- Booster doses of previously administered vaccines, as recommended by the healthcare provider.
- Screening for any vaccine-preventable diseases, such as influenza.
Additional Considerations
- The healthcare provider may also discuss other health topics, such as:
- Nutrition and healthy eating habits.
- Physical activity and exercise.
- Safety and injury prevention.
- Emotional and mental well-being.