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Children's Health
Children's Health
Newborns
Hospital care
- Apgar testing at birth - heart rate, breathing, reflexes, muscle tone, skin coloration measurements
- Vitamin K shot to promote blood clotting
- Physical exam – weight, length, head circumference
- Umbilical cord care
- Bath
- Breastfeeding
Immunizations
- Hepatitis B prior to discharge
Tests
- Each state determines which screenings are required
- Hearing test
Enrolling in GlobalHealth Group Coverage
Your special enrollment period to enroll a newborn is limited. See your plan materials for more information about how to enroll your baby and how long you have. If you miss the special enrollment period, you will have to wait until the next open enrollment period.
State & Education members click here.
Dependents of dependents are not eligible for GlobalHealth coverage. The newborn must be a dependent of the subscriber.
Well child visits
Children should see their pediatrician on a regular schedule from newborn through adolescence. The doctor will take measurements, give appropriate immunizations, and answer any questions you have about your baby’s health and development.
Well Visit Checklist for Children (English) (en Espanol)
Speech and Language Developmental Milestones
Immunizations
The CDC has created immunization schedules for children for routine and for catch-up vaccinations.
Weight/height checks – growth chart
The CDC has developed growth charts for boys and girls by age. The charts are for a variety of measurements.
Milestones
At each visit, your child’s doctor will talk about what milestones your child may have reached. Keep in mind these are only a general guide. Children progress individually.
Exercise and Nutrition
Children need regular exercise and good nutrition to grow and develop.
Safety
It is important to teach children about safety, but it is a parent’s responsibility to keep them safe. Be sure you have emergency phone numbers near the phone – 911 emergency, family doctor, and poison hotline.
Car
- Be sure you have the right car seat and install it correctly. Children should be rear-facing until two.
- Get a booster seat when your child outgrows the car seat.
- Make sure older children are always buckled.
- Never leave children in a hot car.
Home
- Sleeping
- Choose a crib with bars no more than 2 3/8 inches apart.
- Cribs should have a tight-fitting sheet only – no blankets, bumpers or other fabric.
- Babies should sleep on their backs.
- Bath
- Don’t leave small children alone.
- Test the water to be sure it isn’t too hot.
- Toys
- Choose toys that are age appropriate.
- Avoid toys that have sharp edges or points.
- Look for “non-toxic” labels.
- Make and practice a fire escape plan.
- Keep medications and cleaning supplies out of reach or in locked cabinets.
- Make sure smoke alarms are installed and periodically checked. Change batteries every six months.
- Use toddler gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
- Outdoors
- Always wear life jackets in lakes or the ocean.
- Fence off swimming pools.
- Let your child play on playground equipment appropriate for his age.
- Check out the playground and equipment to be sure they are in good condition.
- Make sure your child only participates in sports that are age appropriate with adult supervision.
- Always wear safety equipment for the sport or activity such as a helmet.
Childhood illnesses
Not all illnesses respond to antibiotics. Click here for more information.
RSV
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an infection of the airways. It usually isn’t serious, but if your child is under 2, or has a heart or lung disease or a weak immune system, it can inflame the lungs and cause pneumonia.
Symptoms:
- Cold-like symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion and cough
- Irritability and breathing problems in infants
Talk with your doctor about ways to ease your child’s symptoms. A drug called palivizumab (Synagis) can be used to prevent RSV in high risk infants.
Fifth Disease
Another viral illness, fifth disease is common in kids ages 5 to 15.
In most children, it's mild. A child with sickle cell anemia or a weak immune system can become very ill from fifth disease. It can also be serious in pregnant women.
Symptoms:
- Low fever
- Cold symptoms (like runny nose)
- Swollen joints
Later, a bright red rash appears, usually on the face, then spreads down the body. By the time the rash appears, the illness is no longer contagious.
It can take 1 to 3 weeks for the rash to go away. In some children, the rash may itch, and the joints may ache. Your doctor can recommend ways to ease these symptoms.
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease
This contagious viral illness usually isn’t serious. Children under age 5 are most likely to catch it, through saliva, fluid from blisters and possibly viral shedding through stool.
Symptoms:
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Poor appetite
Later, painful sores may develop in the back of the throat and a skin rash, typically on the palms and soles but can also occur on the trunk and diaper region. It usually clears up in 7 to 10 days without treatment.
Croup
Croup targets the windpipe and voice box. It is most often caused by viruses and lasts for a week or less.
Symptoms:
- Usually starts with a sudden onset of barky cough and stridor, which gets worse at night
- Runny nose
- Fever
- Other cold-like symptoms
Use a cool mist humidifier or run a hot shower and sit with your child in the steamed-up bathroom for 10 minutes. If it is a cool, moist night take your child outside with a coat and hat and let her breathe in the night air.
If your child is having trouble breathing, having noisy breathing, or not eating or drinking well, call 911 or go to the emergency room. Steroids, cool mist and breathing treatments are sometimes given to decrease airway swelling.
Scarlet Fever
This bacterial infection is caused by group A strep. It was once a deadly disease, but now it’s easily treatable.
Symptoms:
- Sore throat
Scarlet-colored rash around the neck and face that may spread to the rest of the body. If your child has a sore throat and rash, call the doctor. If the strep test is positive, then it is important to treat it with a round of antibiotics to prevent rare but serious complications.
Impetigo
This skin infection is most common in younger children. It starts when staph or strep bacteria gets in a cut, scratch, or bite. It can affect any area of the body but happens most often around the mouth, nose, and hands. Babies sometimes get the irritation in their diaper area.
Symptoms:
- Tiny blisters that burst. Fluid from the sores creates a crust that looks like a coat of honey.
Touching or scratching the sores, which can be itchy, spreads impetigo to other parts of the body and to other people. An antibiotic ointment, and sometimes an oral antibiotic, can treat it.
Kawasaki Disease
This childhood illness inflames blood vessels throughout the body. It is very rare, and the cause is unknown. Boys under age 5 of Asian or Pacific Island descent are most likely to get it. Most get well within weeks. But if it affects the arteries to the heart, it can cause serious, long term problems.
Symptoms:
- Fever that lasts 5 or more days
- Red eyes
- Red lips or tongue and redness on the hands and feet
- Rash
- Swollen lymph node
There is no way to prevent this disease, but it is not contagious. Early treatment is key.
Reye’s Syndrome
This very rare illness can come on suddenly. Children under age 15 who are getting over a viral illness like chickenpox or the flu are most likely to get it. It can be serious and cause damage to the liver and brain.
Symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Lack of energy
- Irritability or aggression
Later, irrational behavior, confusion, and seizures.
The best way to treat Reye's syndrome is to prevent it. It is strongly linked to aspirin, so never give your child or teen aspirin, especially for a viral illness. If you suspect your child has it, get medical help right away.
Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
Anyone can catch this bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes, but infants are the most likely to get seriously ill from it.
Symptoms:
- Cold-like symptoms
A few days later, the cough gets worse, and a “whooping” sound may be heard as the child gasps for air.
Antibiotics can sometimes help by easing the symptoms, if treated early. Babies are often hospitalized so staff can monitor their breathing.
It is very easy to catch. Your baby should start getting vaccines at 2 months old. Parents and older children need to get vaccinated to protect the baby. A woman should also get a pertussis shot while she is pregnant. Pertussis vaccine lasts five years and would still be effective during other pregnancies during that time.
Additional Resources
- Test Your Knowledge about Kids’ Health
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- Warning Signs for Bullying
- Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect