Synonyms
U-examination, examination at the pediatrician, U1- U9, youth health counseling, development guidelines, pre-school examination, one-year examination, four-year examination
General information
The U 8 is the ninth examination of the child and is accomplished at the age of approx. 3 1⁄2 to four years thus in the 43. up to the 48. life month. Altogether there are 12 examinations from the first minute of life to the 10th year of life.
Recently there are also J1 and J2, which are carried out during puberty. The preventive examinations for children are intended to detect diseases and malformations as early as possible, so that the children can be treated as early as possible. Mental development, neglect and child abuse should also be detected and prevented at an early stage.
When does the U8 take place?
Ideally, the U8 screening should take place between 46 and 48 months of age. During this period, the child’s abilities and development can be best assessed and the findings can be easily compared with the corresponding age cohort, i.e. children of the same age. Among other things, the organs, hearing and vision and, above all, the child’s mobility and coordination skills are checked. The physician also evaluates the child’s mental state of development and social behavior, i.e. all skills that take place in human development during this time window.
Procedure of the examination
Every examination should start with a medical history. The pediatrician will ask whether the child is still wetting or defecating, whether speech disorders have been noticed, whether the child has integrated into the kindergarten and whether anything else is noticeable. The medical history can also be examined again: Has the child had many infections up to now or has he or she ever had cramps?
In addition, questions are asked and attention is paid to whether the language is appropriate for the child’s age (for example, does the child still speak in “ego-sentences” or stammers) and whether all vaccinations have been carried out. If the anamnesis is empty and the medical history is unremarkable, the examination can begin. The pediatrician will then look at the child from head to toe and see if he sees anything conspicuous during the inspection.
If he does not find anything, the examination continues. First the weight is determined, as with every examination. Then the body length, the head circumference and the blood pressure are measured.
Weight, body length and head circumference should always be entered in the percentiles. The percentiles are a kind of diagram that records the growth of a child. This makes it easy for the doctor to see if a child is growing and gaining weight.
This makes it easier to detect developmental disorders. A urine sample is also taken, which can give indications of a kidney disorder or urinary tract infection. In addition, ears and eyes are also checked.
The visual acuity is examined with a board that shows pictures of various objects. Often the children are intimidated and refuse to read the pictures. A lot of patience is required, because examining visual acuity is especially important for children.
Strabismus should also be taken into account. During the hearing test, the tube function and the hearing threshold are checked. Both tests are painless and can be performed with headphones.
Afterwards, your child’s motor skills are checked, which means that the muscles, their control and muscle tension are controlled. This can be verified by simple tests. For example, the pediatrician will ask the child to stand on one leg, jump, run along a line and/or stand up straight.
In this way, a child’s coordination, posture and gait can be assessed and thus, for example, a curvature of the back or postural anomalies can be quickly detected and treated. This is important because postural deformities are more difficult to treat in adulthood. If everything is in order, a quick look into the mouth is still missing to check the dental status. Children often get caries at this age, so it is important to take a child to the dentist.
