Health checks in childhood

Screening for children continues up to the age of 16 and is designed to make sure that any health problems they may have are spotted and can be dealt with early. Tests include:

The School Entry Health Check
All children have key indicators of health assessed at primary school entry, when they are four to five years old. This is called the School Entry Health Check. This check will only be done if a parent consents. It consists of three parts:

• Growth – a school nurse will measure the height and weight of your child. If either are found to be very high or low, your child will be referred to your GP or a community paediatrician for further investigation.
• Hearing – while most hearing problems should be detected earlier, a school nurse will assess your child's hearing when your child starts school. The test, called a sweep hearing test, will aim to confirm that your child's hearing is normal at different frequencies of sound. If the test reveals any hearing problems your child will be referred to a GP.
• Vision – your child will be checked for a range of common sight problems. A trained orthoptist (someone who diagnoses and treats problems with vision) does the examination. This is usually a standard eye test (also known as a vision acuity test), where the child is asked to read lines of letters from a chart. Your child may be referred to a GP or optician for further investigation if there is a problem with their sight.

Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a sight-threatening condition. All people with diabetes at the age of 12 and over should be screened for it annually. If your child has diabetes, soon after his or her 12th birthday you'll receive a letter inviting them for diabetic retinopathy screening. This usually takes place at your GP surgery, a local optometrist or a local hospital.

Sight tests

All children, not just those with diabetes, should have regular eye checks around every two years. Children under 16 are entitled to regular free sight tests on the NHS.

Watch a video about the importance of sight tests for children.

In addition to the screening programmes discussed above, there is a wide range of medical tests that your child may have, usually at the recommendation of your GP. These include:

The New Patient Health Check
Whenever a patient registers with a GP, either as an adult or child, selected tests are carried out as part of the New Patient Health Check. This check applies to all children aged five and over. The GP will:

• measure your child's height and weight
• ask your child to provide a sample of urine to check for diabetes
• measure your child's blood pressure. High blood pressure is unusual in youngsters, but all children aged five and over should have their blood pressure tested just in case

Anaemia test
If your child has symptoms such as tiredness, faintness and difficulty breathing, it’s possible they may be suffering from anaemia. To check for it, your GP may recommend a blood test to measure the level of red cells in the blood.

Thyroid function test
The thyroid is a gland that produces hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism (the rate at which it uses energy). If it isn’t functioning properly your child may experience health problems. Thyroid problems are most common in children around the age of puberty. Your GP can do a blood test to check for this.

Symptoms of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can include:

• weight gain
• tiredness
• hoarse voice
• delayed puberty
• rough, dry skin

Symptoms of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) include:

• tremors
• irritability
• excessive crying or overemotional behaviour
• short attention span
• increased appetite
• weight loss
• an inability to thrive

Asthma test 
Lung and airway function can become impaired because of respiratory conditions, such as asthma.

To assess your child’s lung function your GP can perform a peak flow test. Your child will be asked to blow hard into a handheld peak flow meter. If there's a problem with your child's lung function, your GP will recommend further tests.