Child health checks
This section provides best-practice recommendations for routine checks from birth to 15 years of age to identify chronic conditions. It provides a systematic Medicare compliant guide for performing health check assessments via direct questioning and clinical procedures, and recommended referral pathways if concerns are identified.
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Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (child)
Child health checks undertaken to identify risky substance taking behaviour, acknowledge a child’s lifestyle choices and to provide preventative information to promote healthy adulthood outcomes
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Birth information
Recording a child’s birth information for consistent personal health history, and to ensure any postnatal appointments are actioned and followed up.
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Birth parent's history
Parents health and lifestyle behaviours check to determine attachment, quality of the parental relationship and future risk for chronic conditions
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Body measurements child
Child body measurements undertaken to monitor a child’s growth and act early on identified risks associated with growth and development or chronic conditions
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Clinical measurements child
Clinical measurement undertaken on a child to monitor, identify and address birth defects, effects of the environment, infections, family behaviours and chronic conditions
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Continence and elimination child
Child continence and elimination checks to identify any physiological elimination problems and to reassure parents of normal continence patterns
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Developmental milestones
Developmental milestones assessments for clinicians to identify factors affecting a child to attain expected age-specific tasks, behaviours and skills
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Ears and hearing child
Ears and hearing checks undertaken to identify and monitor ear diseases that can cause long term hearing loss affecting a child’s speech and language, ability to play and develop socially and emotionally, and ability to learn and have positive educational outcomes
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Environment
Assessments undertaken to identify preventable environmental hazards that influence child health, behaviours and lifelong illnesses
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Eyes and vision child
Checks performed to identify eye and visual problems that can affect a child’s ability to learn, play and confidently communicate with others
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General appearance
Head to toe physical observation of a child undertaken to identify physical abnormalities, injuries or skin infections
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Infant reflexes
Infant reflexes assessments performed to check a child’s neurological development and function
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Nutrition child
Assessments performed to identify and support parents and children to improve eating habits
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Oral health child
Child health checks performed to identify and manage dental caries and periodontal disease early, to prevent risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, overweight and obesity, and otitis media
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Physical activity child
Child health checks used to identify and manage behaviours that increase the risk of overweight and obesity, to prevent lifelong risks of developing chronic conditions
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Skin child
Skin inspections used to identify and manage skin infections that can lead to lifelong debilitating chronic conditions such as rheumatic heart disease, and chronic kidney disease
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Social emotional wellbeing child
Assessments undertaken to identify infants, children or young people's social-emotional wellbeing
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Special considerations child
Checks undertaken to screen high risk children for preventable chronic conditions and to provide early intensive lifestyle modifications particularly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are at greatest risk