CARE IS BETTER THAN CURE-3

Nagenthiram Harivallavan

2012/08/29

3rd post

Child health clinics assess the physical, mental and social condition of children under school age, provide vaccinations and support parents in providing secure, child-focused rearing, care and in attending to relationships. The clinics also promote healthy growing environments for children and healthy family lifestyles. Support is provided by home visits by public health midwife before & after the birth of a child and MOH of that area.

PHM advice the mother to attend the clinic when the baby is one month old which is the first visit to the child welfare clinic.

During the first visit following will be measured in baby,

               Anthropometric measurements

                              height
                              weight
                              occipito-frontal circumference

General examination

General appearance, any dysmorphic features
whether the baby is active or not
rashes in body
fontanels
skin color
eyes
mouth
assess respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Information found during the examination will be included in the child health development record
(CHDR). Following information record in the CHDR subsequence visits
               Anthropometric measurements
               vaccinations
               Development milestones

The weighing of the child is done in CWC upto 6 months of age. From 7 months weighing is done in field weighing centers by the area PHM. The weighing is every month for first 2 years of age and once in 3 months upto 5 years of age.

Immunizations programme contact according to the national Immunizations schedule. The nutritional supplementation activities of CWC are providing mega doses of vitamin A & Thiposha. Mothers are educated about the complementary feeding, child health and how to gives ‘jeewani’.