two year check up?

[haven]

do they do a finger stick?

[misdee]

??

[mancmum]

what?! in my area 2 year check ups have been dropped -- but would not know what you are checking for!!

[misdee]

what is a finger stick?

[fatmomma]

My ds has his next Thursday so I could tell you then (if I knew what a finger stick was!).

[haven]

kinda like checking for diabetes, but they didn't check for that. it is a lil needed that they poke the finger with and draw blood. they put it in a little bitty vile like thing. while i was there i checked on another problem, "stool" another thread, but Doc didn't say what they were doing with the blood and he never came back into the room

[Davros]

I also understood that 2 year checks are or will be dropped. An issue the NAS is taking up as autism is often picked up around 2, DAFT!

[fisil]

Our two year check was all about development and nothing about health. Ds1 had to do a jigsaw, make a tower, hold a pencil, read a book etc. and we had to answer questions about his physical development. It was really very informal and a chance just to catch up with the hv.

[HellyBelly]

I was told this check had been dropped and that it will be later instead.

[coppertop]

Ds1's 2yr-check was done at home. They checked things like language, fine/gross motor skills etc but no stick tests.

[mandyc66]

think 2 year assesment has been dropped now. It changes all the time. Do we care if I child is doing the same as mr average anyway?

[colditz]

Ds's 2 year check was done at home, she watched him play with his toys, asked him to fetch her a shoe and put it on the sofa, that kind of think. Although they are very relaxed round here...

[mandyc66]

dont think my ds3 has had one and he is 2and a half.

[calpopscalum]

I asked my hv about a 3 year check for ds (according to the little red book he should have one!) and was told that he couldn't have one but dd was to come in for her 2 year check. She told me they've stoppd the 3 yr check but are keeping the 2 yr check. That's in northampton BTW so maybe it's a postcode lottery thing again!
I insisted on getting ds checked over - good thing too as he's failed his hospital hearing test again and is going back for another one - wouldn't have been picked up till he started school if he hadn't been seen at 3 (Feb).
Never had finger stick tests for either of my 2.

[mandyc66]

whats a finger stick test?

[jane313]

They have dropped them round here and said they said a questionairre instead but haven't got one yet.

[strugstu]

many primary care trusts are reviewing their child surveillance programmes in light of 'Hall 4' A report by David hall et al. on child development . Child surveillance varies from area to area anyway,generally there is a
7-9 month assessmnet
a 2yr assessment and a 3 1/2 year assessment.

School nurse will do a pre-school 'interview' anyway, so many trust are dropping the HV 3 1/2 yr assessmnet as the school nurse will do it befor they go to reception.

hth

[mandyc66]

Do you not think as a parent we know if there is something amiss? Our health visitor is available at anytime if we have concerns,so does it really matter when these tests take place?

[strugstu]

thats pretty much what hall 4 implies- shifts the responsibility to the parent as it should be.

many hv's do get anxious as some parents dont realise their child may have a problem ie. squint or some developmental delay, speech problems are quite classic

[Davros]

I think it does matter and that a 2 year check is very important. Even if parents think there is something amiss they are often so unsure that they need an opportunity to bring it up with an appropriate person. Other checks are less important than 2yrs imo and this is one that should be kept.

[flamesparrow]

If you are a first time parent, with no other parents with young children around you, then I think that, if nothing else, the checks provide reassurance.

[LunarSea]

Around here they still do the two year old one, but they're dropping the 3.5 year one (or at least just phoning you and asking if you have any concerns and want it done).

Which makes some sense as most children by then will be taking part in some kind of preschool given that it's funded from 3, so the people running those should know what's approximately normal at that age (and will see the children for much longer, and in much more normal situations than a HV would) and should be able to flag up any concerns with the parents.

I presume they may eventually formalise that and have some sort of form for the pre-school setting to fill in when the child is 3.5.

[mandyc66]

I think we had one at 18months not 2 I know when ds4 was born my hv said there had been changes. My HV is fantastic and I feel confident to ring her if I have a problem.