U 5
The U5 is the examination in the 6th to 7th month of life. The main focus of this examination is on the child’s range of movement and urge to move, as well as the examination of his mental development. At this age, children specifically reach for objects that are in their field of vision and pass them from one hand to the other to look at them from all sides.The children’s head posture is complete, i.e. they can hold and control their head securely in all postures.
Sitting upright with help is possible and the children pull themselves up to sit when two fingers are held out to them. The infant turns from the supine to the prone position and can usually already support himself with open hands when lying on his stomach and look straight ahead. Speech development should be so advanced that the infant responds to speech with sounds.
This examination can be difficult, as children at this age are often alienated, so the doctor depends on close observation by the parents. Further vaccinations can be given as part of this examination, provided the baby is healthy. If the pediatrician notices any visual (strabismus) or hearing defects, he will immediately refer the child to a specialist, so that a detailed examination and possible treatment steps can be carried out.
U 6
The U6 is performed as a first-year examination between the 10th and 12th month of the child’s life. The development of speech and senses of perception is closely monitored during this examination: Can the child speak in double syllables (e.g. wawawa, lalala) and imitate speech sounds, does it react to soft noises and can it concentrate on a certain object while playing, which it observes and feels intensively and persistently? The children make their first attempts at standing and walking (see: When does my child start walking?).
Gripping takes place with the so-called tweezer grip: Objects are taken between the index finger and thumb. The older the children become, the more they differ in their individual developmental progress. Parents should therefore not be worried if their own child is not yet standing or walking compared to other children of the same age.
In the U7 between the 21st and 24th month of life, the doctor checks the further sensory and physical development of the child. The child should be able to use at least 20 words meaningfully, form one- or two-word sentences and can name everyday situations in their own words, e.g. sleeping is called “Heja machen”. The children can walk forwards and backwards freely, they can run, climb stairs alone, bend down and stand up from a squatting position with their hands free.
The children imitate everyday actions and situations in simple role plays and want to assert themselves in contact with others. The doctor pays attention to possible malpositions of the extremities, the pelvis and the spine. He asks the parents about behavioural problems, febrile convulsions or other conspicuous events in the child’s development. Vitamin D prophylaxis comes to an end after the first year of life, but care should continue to be taken to ensure sufficient iodine and fluoride intake.
