We monitor health and development

From birth to school age

Well-child care is available to all parents free of charge. 

Parents of newborn children are offered home visits for the first few weeks and then subsequently they can come to the health care centre with the child for examinations. 

During home visits, the nurse examines the child, assessing the child’s development, weight and head circumference. Parents receive counseling and education regarding the child’s care and their own well-being.

When the child is six weeks old, a medical exam is performed by a doctor at the health care centre, and at the age of three months vaccinations begin.  

You can find more information about well-child care on the homepage of your health care centre and on the services page at Heilsuvera.is. 

 

Family support

The goal of well-child care is to promote the health, well-being and development of young children through regular health check-ups as well as support and health education for their families. Emphasis is placed on support for the family. The development of children from birth to school age is monitored. 

Nurses and doctors at the health care centres provide well-child care. 

Parents are always welcome to contact nurses in well-child care between scheduled check-ups. 

 

Check-ups and vaccines - from July 1st 2023

Here you can see an overview of the well-child care check-ups and vaccines at different ages:

Age
 Who does the check-up
 What is done
<6 weeks Nurse  Home visits
6 weeks   Nurse and doctor Exam, developmental assessment
  9 weeks Nurse
 Home visit or check-up at the health care centre
3 months Nurse and doctor Exam, developmental assessment and vaccines for whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and polio in one injection, pneumococcal vaccine in another injection
 5 months  Nurse Exam and vaccines for whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and polio in one injection, pneumococcal vaccine in another injection
6 months   Nurse Exam, developmental assessment
8 months Nurse Exam
 10 months Nurse and doctor Exam and developmental assessment
  12 months Nurse Exam, developmental assessment and vaccines for whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and polio in one injection, pneumococcal vaccine in another injection, and meningococcal vaccine in a third injection. PEDS Parent assessment of children’s development
 18 months Nurse and doctor Exam, developmental assessment and vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella in one injection and chicken pox in another injection. PEDS Parent assessment of children’s development
  2 1/2 years Nurse Exam, PEDS Parent assessment of children’s development, Brigance developmental screening and chicken pox vaccine
 4 years Nurse Exam, vision test, PEDS Parent assessment of children’s development, Brigance developmental screening and vaccine for whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus in one injection

 

PEDS parent assessment of children’s development

PEDS (Parent’s Evaluation of Developmental Status) is a questionnaire in which parents can express concerns regarding their child’s language development, hearing, fine and gross motor skills, behaviour and general developmental progress.

PEDS is carried out for all children at 12-month, 18-month, 2.5-year and 4-year check-ups. However, PEDS can be used from birth to 8 years of age.

 

 

Brigance developmental screening

Brigance developmental screening involves the nurse assigning tasks to the child. The screening covers many developmental factors and is divided into three areas: school skills, communication skills and motor skills. The screening measures fine and gross movements, language use, vocabulary and comprehension, pre-reading skills, quantitative concepts and knowledge of personal matters.

Brigance developmental screening is performed on 2.5- and 4-year-old children in conjunction with the PEDS assessment so that true abnormalities can be detected with greater accuracy.

Well-child care for premature babies

The health care centres provide well-child care for premature babies born before 32 weeks of pregnancy and/or with a birth weight of less than 1500 grams. 

A nurse specialised in premature babies visits the family at the Neonatal Care Unit of the Children’s Hospital and does a home visit shortly after the family has been discharged from the hospital. The number of home visits depends on the family’s needs. Parents are asked to contact their health care centre when the child is discharged from the Neonatal Care Unit to arrange the first home visit. During these home visits, the growth and development of the child is monitored and parents are given advice and support. 

The first visit to a health care centre depends on the age at which the child is discharged from the Neonatal Care Unit and when the child is monitored by the neonatal doctors. Vaccinations begin at three months of age. From that time on, the child comes for regular check-ups and vaccinations. Some children are expected to need more visits than others. Special attention will be paid to the growth, development and behaviour of the child. Exams and vaccinations are individualised. Parents are always welcome to contact the health care centre outside of scheduled check-ups.