Parents have
to stay abreast of their children's growth and ensure that children's teeth and
ears are checked and immunizations are up to date.
Parents of infants
and toddlers in most countries are constantly reminded that they should
maintain their children's health
by monitoring the youth's growth and development. Parents need to observe
growth milestones and ensure that the children's immunizations are up to date.
Before a child is ready to attend elementary or primary school, there are
certain tests that should be completed before he starts classes. School-aged
children should have already had their first dentist visit. A hearing test is
also important to assess if the child has any ear issues. While some countries require that these tests
and vaccinations are completed, parents should also take the initiative to
ensure that their children are in good health.
If Parents Choose
to, Children Should be Fully Immunized to Enter School
If parents choose
to immunize their children, they should be aware of the schedule set out by
their country for the vaccinations. Parents who wish not to immunize their
children for religious or other reasons should visit their doctor and provide
the necessary information to their child's school with the application for
admission. When it comes to immunizations, the vaccine for Hepatitis B given in
the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is given in three doses and if parents miss
the second shot, this affects the child's immunization record by delaying the
date for the third dose. By age four, any child entering the school system in
the British Virgin Islands would have received the vaccine for Measles, Mumps,
Rubella (MMR), Polio, Diphtheria and Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP or DTaP).
Haemophilus influenzae type b (HiB) vaccine which prevents meningitis and
Varicella for chickenpox and BCG are also administered within the first four
years of life.
Five Year Old
Children Should Be Regularly Visiting the Dentist
Countries and
individual dentists may vary with their recommendation for when a child should
first visit the dentist. Upon the recommendation of the local dentist in the
BVI, my children had their first visit at age three and were comfortable. Since
that first visit, they look forward to visiting the dentist and are comfortable with
the procedures. By age five, most children start to lose their teeth and if the
teeth are coming in crooked, it is good to already have the child comfortable
with the dentist for those extra consultations. Going to the dentist is overall
a good habit to get children accustomed to even if your child's school or
public clinic does not require it. Healthy teeth are important for our smiles,
our consumption of food and overall well-being.
Hearing Test
After birth, babies
are usually given a hearing test. However, when a child becomes eligible to enter
primary or elementary school, a follow-up hearing test is also important to
ensure that your child can hear well. In the BVI, at age three, all children
are required to have to have a hearing test at no cost to the parents. Not being
able to hear well also affects the way the child learns and speaks. Education
and health professionals are basically using the concept of "prevention is
better than the cure" when it comes to hearing. Any hearing disability
that is detected early can be corrected with further assessment which may range
from simply clearing the ear of wax to getting the child equipped with a
hearing aid. As stated earlier, requirements for children entering school vary
from country to country.
