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No matter what grade your child is entering, routine physical examinations, including hearing and vision tests, help ensure that your children are truly ready for school. To make sure your child is prepared from head to toe, here is a handy back-to-school health checklist: 1. Have your child’s hearing checked. Most states mandate hearing tests for babies and toddlers, but many school-age children have not been tested. If your child is listening to the television or music at a very high volume or tends to favor one ear over the other when listening to you, it may be a sign of hearing loss. Your pediatrician can recommend an audiologist for an in-depth evaluation if needed. 2. Have your child’s vision screened. It is important to have an annual screening because young children often don’t know that they can’t see well enough for schoolwork. If your child has a vision problem, it can likely be corrected and prevent them from falling behind in school. If your child wears glasses or contact lenses, be sure these items are in good working condition and that your child’s prescription is current. 3. Be sure immunizations are up to date. Immunizations are necessary to prevent infectious diseases. (I’ll address this issue in my August column on immunizations.) Your child will not be allowed to attend school if he/she has not had all the required immunizations. Parents are sometimes surprised to find that their older children now need vaccines that were not required when these children were younger. To be sure, ask your pediatrician. You can also ask for a copy of your child’s immunization record during the back-to-school checkup. 4. Investigate possible learning disabilities. If you suspect that your child is not processing information correctly, or as other children the same age do, speak to a teacher or contact a learning center for advice. Some children have problems with reading - dyslexia - and others experience trouble with numbers - dyscalculia. A professional diagnosis usually requires one to two days of professional testing. The sooner you discover a disability, the sooner your child can be taught how to compensate. 5. Inventory your child’s mental health. What’s your child’s behavior like? Are his reactions appropriate in most situations? Is she anxious or apprehensive about school? It normally takes children about a month to adjust to change. A new school, fear of a class bully or taking a school bus for the first time may cause anxiety. If your child seems anxious or unsteady, talk to your pediatrician or a counselor who can help you identify the source of the behavior and work out a solution. 6. Plan ahead on prescriptions. If your child takes medication on a regular basis for asthma, diabetes or any other chronic problem, make sure that you have plenty on hand for home and school. In addition, make school nurses and teachers aware of your child’s needs, especially if a school employee will need to administer the medicine. The school will require that your pediatrician fill out forms allowing medicine to be given at school, and written plans for special health problems such as asthma. If you can fill these out before the school year starts and have your child’s school medications labeled and ready to go, you will save some time and trouble. Also, make sure to alert teachers about any allergy issues. Be sure to speak with staff members before school begins and work out a course of action for emergencies. 7. Scan the scalp. If your child has been scratching his or her scalp since camp ended, it could be a sign that lice are present. Check your child’s scalp yourself, or if you are unsure, contact a nurse or your child’s pediatrician. Head lice don’t just go away; they must be treated. There are several over-the-counter and home remedies to alleviate head lice before it spreads to your family or other children. 8. Equip the athlete. If your child will participate in sports, be sure that he or she has all the protective equipment needed for the sport. Also, if your child has braces or wears glasses, you should take extra measures to protect them, even for gym class. Invest in sports frames for the eyes and a mouthpiece to protect the dental work. Again, if pre-participation sports physicals can be performed in the summer and the proper forms are completed before school starts, you will save time. 9. Schedule a trip to the dentist. A dental examination should also be a part of the back-to-school preparations for children. A painful tooth or chronic dental problem can lead to difficulty in eating, speaking and concentrating, which will negatively affect schoolwork and could lead to missed days. Regular dental checkups and preventive dental care will uncover problems, which can be treated in the early stages, when damage is minimal. 10. Address sleep issues. Is your child having trouble sleeping? Does he sleep walk? Does she have trouble falling asleep or have frequent nightmares? It’s good to begin a routine sleep schedule about a month before school begins, since most children’s sleep schedules are inconsistent during the long days of summer and extended daylight hours, and the body needs more than just a couple of days to adjust to a new sleep schedule. If problems are severe, a visit with a sleep specialist may be in order. So go ahead. Make plans to purchase new clothes, notebooks, pencils and other essential school supplies. But if you really want to give your kids a smart start for the academic year, don’t forget to complete the back-to-school health checklist as well. MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient facilities and services throughout the state. For more information, please visit mcghealth.org. Subscribe to our FREE Ezine and be eligible for Health News, discounted products/services and coupons related to your Health. We publish 24/7. HealthNewsDigest.com Top of Page 
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