Checkups under the government-funded Children’s Preventive Healthcare Services, which provides regular checkups and consultations for children up to the age of seven, would be increased from seven times to nine times starting from July 1, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday.
Improvements would also be made to health education consultations, helping parents stay on top of their child’s health for timely intervention, while personalized advice would be provided for more comprehensive and effective care, the agency said.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said starting from July 1, two more checkups would be added to the Children’s Preventive Healthcare Services’ existing seven, adding up to a total of nine times.
Photo courtesy of Health Promotion Administration
It allows for more accurate tracking of a child’s growth to prevent important stages of development from being overlooked, he said.
Chuang said there is currently only one checkup between four to 10 months, which is expected to change to one checkup between four to six months and then six to 12 months.
Similarly, there is only one checkup between the ages of three to seven years, which would be adjusted to one between three to five years and five to younger than seven years old, he said.
The HPA said the existing checkup services include growth tracking (height, weight and head circumference), physical examinations (vision, hearing and dental) and developmental assessment (gross and fine motor skills, and language), as well as personalized health guidance by a doctor to help parents stay fully informed of their child’s health and developmental progress.
“Children require dedicated care at every stage of their growth,” HPA Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) said, adding that the period between four and 10 months is a critical window for physical development and introducing solid foods, while the focus for children between three to seven years old shifts to managing obesity, vision, oral health and learning healthy lifestyle habits.
Accidental injury prevention is also important at any age, so by increasing the frequency of checkups and optimizing their timing, parents can more effectively track a child’s developmental trajectory, allowing for early detection of potential abnormalities and for timely referral to interventions and treatments, she added.
“It’s not just about increasing the number of checkups, we aim to improve the care quality, too,” Chuang said.
The checkups and consultations would be better integrated into a “bundled service,” meaning that during a single visit, the doctor can offer parents more detailed and personalized advice directly based on the checkup results, he said.
Taiwan Pediatric Association president Ni Yen-hsuan (倪衍玄) said with the declining birthrate, there is now a greater emphasis on providing the best possible care for each child.
He said the association fully supports the “7+2” policy direction and looks forward to seeing further integration of the Children’s Preventive Healthcare Services, the Holistic Physicians for Young Children and the Child Development Screening programs, providing the best pediatric care for children.
Chuang said parents are advised to fill out the Children’s Health Handbook accurately, as it serves as a vital reference for the doctor’s assessment and diagnosis.
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