Health Booklet Overview

Introduction

• Singapore, as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensures high standard healthcare for children.
• Importance of Health Booklet:
  • Monitor child’s growth and development from birth to school age.
  • Essential for doctor visits to update medical records.
  • Acts as a personalized data bank of child's health records.
  • Confidentiality assured; info may be used for national health policies.

Key Features of the Health Booklet

• Developmental Checklists:
  • Identify potential developmental delays.
  • Compares child's milestones with average Singaporean children.
• Allergy Information:
  • Important for doctors to note any allergies.
• Child Safety Checklist:
  • Guidelines for a safe and child-friendly environment.

Health Records

• Sections Covered:
  1. Birth Records and Child Health & Development Records (0-6 years)
  2. Child Safety Checklist
  3. National Childhood Immunisation Schedule
  4. Summary of Clinic/Hospital Medical Records
  5. School Dental and Health Screening Records

Child Developmental Screening

• Screening Ages:
  • 4-8 weeks, 3-5 months, 6-12 months, 15-18 months, 2-3 years, 4-6 years.
• Growth Monitoring:
  • Weight, length, occipito-frontal circumference (OFC).
• Developmental Milestones:
  • Checklists for personal-social, motor-adaptive, language, and gross motor skills.
• Hearing Screening:
  • Oto-acoustic emission (OAE) and Automated Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (ABAER).

Immunisation Schedule

• Vaccines Covered:
  • Includes Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Poliovirus, MMR, Pneumococcal Disease, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and optional vaccines.
• National Immunisation Registry:
  • Records all immunisation data for children up to 18 years.

Child Safety Guidelines

• Infant and Toddler Safety:
  • Safe sleeping practices, bathing safety, car safety.
• Home Safety:
  • Prevention of choking hazards, securing dangerous objects, use of safety gates, monitoring near water.
• General Safety:
  • Supervising in the kitchen, playground safety, use of helmets, and not leaving children unattended.

Additional Information

• Growth Charts:
  • Percentiles for head circumference, weight, height, and BMI for different age groups.
• Oral Health Information:
  • Expected age of tooth eruption.
• Useful Contacts:
  • Emergency and health services contact numbers.

Conclusion

• Encourages active parental involvement in monitoring health.
• Collaboration with healthcare institutions for booklet contents and revisions.