Pediatric Health Screenings
Scheduling health screenings for children is one of the best ways to ensure that they have the greatest chance of developing into healthy adults. If your child has not already undergone testing for common exposures to hazardous elements, you should set up a screening with a pediatrician near you so that you can set your mind at ease. You should have no problem finding a good kids doctor in Lubbock to examine your child for problems such as: lead exposure, vision or hearing problems, or blood pressure that is too high or too low.
Vision and Hearing Screenings
About one quarter of all children have impaired vision. Many children go undiagnosed during their childhood for visual impairment. Common eye disorders among children who have undergone health screenings in Lubbock include lazy eye, nearsightedness, and misalignment of the eyes.
Although hearing problems aren’t as common as visual ones, a significant number of children are born with hearing impairments. Others develop hearing problems after they are born. This can harm their ability to adequately learn to speak and use language.
Lead Health Screenings for Children
Although lead was removed from gasoline and paint products in the 1970s, it can still present a problem today. For example, some older homes and pipes still contain lead if they were built prior to the 1970s. Lead exposure among children is surprisingly common, affecting over 300,000 children in the United States.
A kids doctor in Lubbock can examine your child for unsafe lead exposure. Although lead poisoning has no specific signs and symptoms, it can cause a range of issues such as decreased growth and height, impaired neurological development, mental impairment, behavioral changes, and delayed sexual maturation.
Children who have not been screened for lead exposure should be screened for elevated blood levels, according to the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. They recommend that children be screened for unsafe lead levels at the ages of 12 and 24 months if they have not been previously screened.
If your child is diagnosed with an unsafe level of lead in their blood after undergoing health screenings in Lubbock, it is recommended that their home undergo a thorough environmental inspection. If the child has been found to have moderate levels of lead in their blood, additional abdominal radiography and venous sampling may be recommended. Additional lab tests like iron studies and hemoglobin may also be advised.
Pediatric Blood Pressure Screening
Normally thought of as a condition only affecting adults, the incidence of hypertension among children has been found to be as high as five percent. High blood pressure is strongly linked to being overweight or obese.
Because of the serious nature and implications of high blood pressure, numerous organizations have advised routine blood pressure screenings for children at the early age of three years. If your child is over the age of three and has not had a blood pressure screening, contact a pediatrician near you to schedule one.
Call us today to schedule an appointment and visit our website at www.dralamiskids.com.