Some Tips for Examining Young Children
To: Pediatricians
Dr. Ramaz Mitaishvili
April 18, 2007
During weekly visit in outpatient department it brought to my attention that some of the specialists does not use designed Strategies for examination of children 1-3 years old.
{mosimage} 1. Examine a child sitting on parent’s lap and try to be at the child’s eye level.
2. First examine the child’s toy then the child and if possible let the child do some of the exam (e.g., move the stethoscope). Then go back and exam places “we missed”.
3. Ask toddler to help you with the exam.
4. Some toddlers believe that if they can’t see you, then you aren’t there. Perform the exam while the child stands on the parent’s lap, facing the parent.
5. If 2-year-olds are holding something in each hand, they can’t fight or resist.
***** Reminder:
Don’t forget that the first year of life, infancy, is divided into the neonatal period
(THE FIRST 28 DAYS)
and postneonatal period
(29 DAYS to 1 YEAR)
