U8 investigation

Synonyms

U-examination, examination at the pediatrician, U1- U9, youth health advice, development guidelines, preschool examination, one-year examination, four-year examination

General

The U 8 is the ninth examination of the child and is carried out at the age of approx. 3 ½ to four years, i.e. between the ages of 43 and 48 months. There are a total of 12 examinations from the first minute of life to the age of 10. Recently there are also J1 and J2, which are carried out during puberty.

The child check-ups are designed to discover 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.

Read more on the subject at: U examinations

When does the U8 take place?

Ideally, the U8 preventive medical check-up take place between the 46th and 48th month of life. This is because it is during this period that the child’s abilities and developments to be checked can best be 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 eyesight and, above all, the child's mobility and coordination skills are checked.
However, the doctor also assesses the child's intellectual level of development and social behavior, i.e. overall skills that primarily take place in this time window in human development.

Procedure of the investigation

Every examination should start with a anamnese to begin. The pediatrician will ask if the child is still soaked or pots, if Speech disorders it was noticed whether it was integrated into the kindergarten and whether anything else is noticeable. The prehistory can also be examined again: the child has had many so far Infections or has it before convulsed? In addition, questions are asked and attention is paid to whether the language is age-appropriate (for example, the child still speaks in "I sentences" or stutters it) and whether all of them Vaccinations have been carried out.

If the anamnesis is empty and the previous history is normal, the examination can begin. The pediatrician first looks at the child from head to toe and sees whether he sees anything unusual during the inspection. If he does not find anything, the investigation continues. First that will Weightas determined by any examination. Then there will be the body length measured that Head circumference as well as the Blood pressure. Weight, body length and head circumference should always be in the Percentiles be entered. The percentiles are a type of chart that tracks a child's growth. In this way, the doctor can easily see whether a child is growing and gaining weight. So can Developmental disorders to be discovered more easily. It continues with one Urine sample, they can point to a Kidney disorder or Urinary tract infection give.

Also, will still be Ears and eyes checked. Visual acuity is examined with a blackboard that shows images of various objects. However, the children are often intimidated and refuse to read the pictures. A lot of patience is required here, because the Visual acuity It is particularly important to examine in children. Also should be on Squint be respected.
In the hearing test, the Tube function and the Hearing threshold checked. Both tests are painless and through headphone feasible.

After that, the motor skills of your child, which means that the muscles, their control and muscle tension are checked.This can be checked with simple tests. For example, the pediatrician will ask the child to stand on one leg, hop, walk along a line and / or stand straight. So can coordination, attitude and gear of a child and thus for example a Curvature of the back or Postural anomalies quickly revealed and treated. This is important because postural defects are more difficult to treat in adulthood.

If everything is okay, a quick look around the mouth is missing Tooth status to look at. Children get particularly common at this age CariesIt is therefore important to go to the dentist with a child.

Is the U8 mandatory?

The U8 preventive medical check-up for children usually takes place between the 46th and 48th month of life instead, i.e. at the age of about 4 years.
The child's mobility and coordination skills are examined, as well as a vision and hearing test and a Urinalysis carried out.
Also the Tooth status can be assessed as part of this investigation. In most countries, the majority of preventive medical examinations for children and adolescents are required to be reported; they are therefore mandatory and are documented in the so-called yellow booklet.

Hearing test

The hearing test at the U8 preventive medical check-up takes place using headphonesthat are placed on the child.
On the one hand, the tube function and on the other hand, the hearing threshold is determined by playing tones of different frequencies and volume for the child.

The test is painless and only requires some cooperation from the child. During the test, it must indicate when it hears the respective tone. If this is not possible, this test should definitely be used during the next preventive examination (U9 investigation) must be made up in order to be able to safely rule out possible hearing impairments and thus enable the child to develop proper speech.

Cost of the U8 examination

Of the birth Up to the age of 18, a total of eleven preventive examinations for children are free. Including the investigations U1 to U9, thus also the U8 examination in the 4th year of lifeprovided that they take place in the designated period.
If this is not complied with, parents have to pay for the examination as a so-called IgeL service.

Summary of the U8

Here is a brief summary of what the U 8 is asked in the anamnesis and what is paid attention to during the examination and what is examined:

  • Has the child cramped before?

  • Does it wet or defecate?

  • Is it sick often?

  • Is the language appropriate for the age?

  • Have all vaccinations been carried out?

  • Are there any behavioral problems, such as existing strangers or isolation?

  • Examination of body measurements, such as weight and height

  • Urinalysis, evidence of a urinary tract infection and kidney disorder

  • Skeletal system to rule out bad posture and bone anomalies

  • Sensory organs, these include the eyes and ears on the U8

  • Nervous and muscular system, attention is paid to coordination, muscle tension and control