KAWARTHA LAKES: Is your child 18-months of age? If so, it’s time to make an important medical appointment to check on your child’s progress. The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit reminds local parents/caregivers about the Enhanced 18-Month Well-Baby Visit (www.18monthvisit.ca), available for children in Ontario. It’s one of the most important medical checkups for a child and well worth making, even during COVID-19. “Eighteen months marks an important milestone in a child’s development, so even during the pandemic, it’s important to check in with your health care provider, to see how your child is doing,” said Jennifer Kurpjuweit, a Public Health Nurse with the HKPR District Health Unit. The Enhanced 18-Month Well Baby Visit is an extended medical appointment with a health care provider. The visit ensures a child gets recommended vaccines, but it is also a chance for parents and health care providers to discuss all aspects of a child’s health and wellbeing. Included is a review of a child’s development through the use of the Looksee Checklist. This checklist highlights key skills most children should master by 18-months of age. Completing the checklist can help identify concerns and lead to referrals to more specialized community support services, if needed. “The Enhanced 18-Month Well Baby Visit is well worth the time and effort,” Ms. Kurpjuweit notes. If your 18-month-old child needs any vaccines and you don’t have a family doctor, call the Health Unit, at 1-866-888-4577, extension 1507, to book an appointment for immunization. The Health Unit also advises parents/caregivers about other resources to support a child’s development: Visit the Looksee Checklist (www.lookseechecklist.com) for a series of easy-to-use milestone tools that help monitor a child’s development, from one month to six years of age. The 18-month checklist, covered during the 18-Month Well Baby Visit, is also available here and may be valuable to complete before the appointment. Go to the 18-Month Well-Baby Visit Planner (http://myvisit.ca) to help prepare for the checkup. The website guides users through five key areas of healthy child development which can be raised or flagged with a health care provider. Access Play&Learn (http://playandlearn.healthhq.ca/en) for free online games and activities designed to engage young children and help them learn, grow and thrive. Contact the HKPR District Health Unit for parenting support and resources. Call the Healthy Families intake line, at 1-866-888-4577, ext. 5003, visit the Health Unit website (www.hkpr.on.ca), or go to the HKPR Healthy Families Facebook Page, at (www.facebook.com/HKPRHealthyFamilies) for an online forum on parenting and family issues.
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