What medical examinations are essential for children before returning to school?

With the exception of the most active, who take vacations on these dates, most of the adult population must return to work in March, as well as classes in universities, institutes, colleges and high schools.

But beyond the fact that it is not easy for anyone to leave the days of relaxation behind, it is the girls and the boys who can have the most difficulty adapting to the school rhythm. “First of all, you have to worry about preparing children for a drastic change in their sleeping and waking schedules,” advises Carolina Cerón, director of the RedSalud Medical and Dental Center.

The pediatrician says that insufficient rest can cause all kinds of problems, such as irritability, problems with attention, memory and performance, even difficulties relating to others or an increased risk of obesity, among others risks.

To find advice to help your daughters and sons in this adaptation to school hours, you can click on the link that we leave below:

Although promoting good rest is essential for the well-being of girls and boys, it is not the only aspect to pay attention to in this new school year. “Health is essential for the proper development of schoolchildren at the start of the school period,” says Cerón.

The ideal, say specialists in the field, is to start the school year with a complete medical check-up, which allows us to exclude or identify any health situation that the boy or girl may have, such as vision, hearing, nutrition, respiratory, chronic diseases or allergies.

“Early detection of these problems is crucial in order to be able to treat them quickly and avoid complications,” says Maribel Torres, pediatrician at Clínica NúcleoSalud.

The call may seem like a no-brainer, but precedents suggest it’s not so obvious. Carolina Cerón says that the frequency of medical visits decreases and even disappears when patients reach the age of four or six. The problem with this is that during early childhood, pathologies and certain disorders can begin to manifest themselves, such as the very common obesity.

Regular medical monitoring is important until adolescence, when accelerated growth and hormonal changes can lead to the appearance of different complications, such as diabetes or certain types of mental health disorders.

On the other hand, a complete medical check-up before or during the start of the school year can detect the presence of viruses and other contagious diseases which tend to spread very quickly in the school environment.

One could (wrongly) believe that, since it is summer, with a heat that will probably last a few more months, girls and boys will be safe from the risk of illness. A contrast to what we experience in winter, when clinics and hospitals are filled with patients with a certain type of respiratory virus.

The truth is that during the summer and back to school, both boys and girls can suffer from various illnesses and conditions, such as the following:

According to Maribel Torres, illnesses of this type, such as diarrhea and vomiting, can be more frequent at this time of year, “due to exposure to spoiled foods, increased consumption of fresh foods and exposure to swimming pools and other bodies of water.

Summer weather greatly increases the risk of skin infections, such as athlete’s foot and ringworm, which are also highly contagious: locker rooms are often a source of contagion for infections. Added to this are other problems, such as sunburn or insect bites, which can be particularly problematic if they become infected or if there is an associated allergy, in addition to other types of allergies that affect the skin.

Summer activities, such as swimming pools, splashing water or swimming at beaches, can increase the risk of middle ear infections, the most common being otitis media.

In addition to those mentioned, Torres says there are usually nutritional issues and also some sleep disturbances caused by “overuse of technology”, which, in turn, can cause some anxiety-related discomfort. and irritability, which “They can have repercussions in the academic field.”

Although we are far from what was experienced in 2021, and particularly in 2020, the ghost of covid-19 is still present. February indeed closed with the detection of 1,372 positive cases on its last day, according to data from the Ministry of Health, and an average weekly positivity of 10%. Additionally, in the first two months of the year, 975 virus-related deaths were recorded.

“Covid-19 continues to be an issue that should be on the minds of parents and caregivers this back to school,” says Maribel Torres. This is why it is important to continue to take certain preventive measures to reduce the risk of infection and transmission of the virus: get vaccinated – if parents and guardians are eligible for boosters – wash hands frequently with soap and water, use alcohol hand sanitizer – watch for symptoms and, of course, see a doctor if they appear.

Depending on the case, the medical evaluation may include more or fewer specialties. But here we present some of the most common:

Ideally, the pediatrician should assess the child’s growth and development, with a complete physical examination and a review of their medical history. “He can also carry out laboratory tests, such as blood and urine tests, to detect possible health problems”, explains Maribel Torres.

Among the most important tests are “complete blood count and biochemical profile, stool tests to rule out intestinal parasites and assess thyroid function and vitamin levels such as vitamins D and B,” says Carolina Cerón.

In short, this general evaluation can detect any physical or medical problem, such as malnutrition, obesity, chronic diseases, growth problems, anemia, thyroid problems, etc. Also, it could help identify any emotional or behavioral disorders, such as anxiety, depression, attention deficits, and conduct problems. “You can recognize learning and attention level difficulties,” says the NúcleoSalud specialist. In these cases, what corresponds is to refer to neurology.

It consists of performing visual acuity tests to detect vision problems such as myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia, amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus. “If there are any of these visual problems, it could cause headaches and eye strain, situations that could affect their school activities,” says Torres. This way you will know if the boy or the girl needs to use optical glasses or visual support.

In this specialty, the health of the ear, nose and throat of children is assessed. Through hearing tests and an examination of the nasal cavity, and another of the pharynx and larynx, possible problems such as otitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis or sleep apnea are detected.

Assessing the health of the heart of boys and girls is essential to detect possible problems such as murmurs, arrhythmias or heart defects, risks that could manifest themselves, especially, in the face of very demanding physical activities, very common in a physical education class. , certain sports activities of an extracurricular nature or even in intense game recreation.

“Each child with very demanding sports activities must have a pre-sports evaluation by the cardiologist who will request an electrocardiogram and a stress test depending on the case”, specifies Maribel Torrres.

Carolina Cerón recommends including the assessment of nutritional status, which is relevant for advising the family on adequate nutrition, especially when children eat a large part of their meals at school. The director of RedSalud stresses the importance of this assessment, all the more so given the prevalence of obesity in the country. According to Nutrition card 2021 prepared by Junaeb, one student out of three suffers from this eating disorder, of which 10.8% correspond to a serious case.

During this time, the dental evaluation makes it possible to detect the presence of bacteria which, for example, cause cavities and, thus, to treat them quickly. Likewise, other types of problems can be identified, such as biting, which are usually the result of badly positioned teeth or jaw problems that require major surgeries.

• Make these exams a regular occurrence : Each boy and each girl has his/her particular needs, the frequency of necessary evaluation thus varies from case to case. But, at the very least, no more than a year or even six months should pass between each medical visit.
• Ensuring adequate sleep as already mentioned at the beginning of the article.
• Maintain a healthy diet “It is essential for the general well-being of children, so it is recommended to provide nutritious and varied meals that include fruits, vegetables, proteins and whole grains, and to reduce processed foods and drinks”, stresses Maribel Torres.
• Encourage regular physical activity : likes outdoor games and sports.
• Establish good communication : create an environment of trust so that they feel comfortable sharing their concerns and needs. Carolina Cerón maintains that it is very important to be attentive to any symptom or alert situation. “Adjusting to new schools, new friends, different activities, sleeping and waking patterns, and eating habits can trigger the onset of certain emotional disturbances that are perfectly expected, but which must be taken into account. supported by parents, school and health professionals. This is how we allow it to be a stage and a transition full of happy and peaceful moments for the whole family.