The US pension scheme: the half-year check
Preventive medical check-ups are an important topic for parents. When it comes to the U5, the child is six months old and they already know some of the key elements of these appointments.
As always, we start by determining the child's height, weight and head circumference, because these growth measurements are simply very important at baby age. Then we ask whether there are any particularities in everyday life, how the child sleeps, how stressed or burdened the parents are - if it seems necessary, we are always happy to refer them to support services (early help, Wellcome).
Another item on the agenda is the topic of nutrition. The vast majority will have already started complementary feeding at U5. If not, you should start after the sixth month at the latest.
An essential part of the U5 is the physical examination of the child. This includes listening, palpating the tummy and checking their motor skills. At six months, children should be able to support themselves freely on their hands and move their head around the room.
Many people think that little ones absolutely have to turn back and forth - but they don't have to. Although you can already see how motor skills are developing in the direction of turning, turning at six months is not a developmental milestone that a child absolutely has to have mastered.
What they should already be able to do, however, is to take things from one hand to the other and to cross the centre of the body when grasping. This is an important developmental step that the child should have learnt by this age.
Finally, as always, there is room for questions and to discuss how to proceed with immunisations and preventive care.
Further interesting tips
Debate about breastfeeding duration
The new national guideline on breastfeeding duration and interventions to promote breastfeeding has recently been published and has immediately triggered some unnecessary media controversy. However, a debate about this guideline is actually largely superfluous.
Recognising diabetes
Today we're talking about a disease that everyone knows from hearsay - but certainly not everyone would recognise in their own child: Type 1 diabetes mellitus, also known as diabetes. There are four warning signs of this disease that you should be aware of.
Child Day Care Act
There is still good news from the bureaucratic jungle! The certificate in accordance with §4 of the Child Daycare Act is no longer required. From now on, parents can simply show the yellow booklet and vaccination card when their child is to go to a community centre or child minder.