Activities of Child Health Clinic

Under Five Clinic

Concept of Under Five Clinic

The most vulnerable times in a person's life are during infancy and childhood. Simple precautions performed during childhood and adolescence, such as appropriate weaning, timely immunization, and fast treatment of minor illnesses in their early stages, will guarantee adult life is free of disease. A disease like polio, which results in lifelong impairment, could affect a youngster who was not immunized. The majority of issues are generally easy to avoid but extremely challenging or expensive to resolve. Therefore, it is crucial to have a health clinic that offers preventive services like immunizations and nutrition and health education.

Growth Chart

The child's physical development and growth are clearly displayed on the growth chart or "Road to health" chart. Immunization records, registration information, weight record forms, health education, and nutrition are all included. A growth chart is one of the crucial instruments utilized in the pediatric clinic. Health professionals who are caring for the youngsters should become familiar with the card.

Activities of Child Health Clinic

• Registration.
• Making history.
• A list of the vital signs.
• Physical examination.
• Evaluation of weight and height.
• Including demonstrations on nutrition and health education.
• Vaccination program.
• Sickness in children is treated.
• keep the growth chart.

Registration

Each child who enters the clinic should fill out a registration form with their name, age, sex, and the reason they are there. This will facilitate future service analysis. Every child's growth chart should also be filled out.

• Every child is listed.
• Name, age, sex, and date of birth information is recorded.
• Also noted are the names of the mother and father, etc.
• The mother is required to keep the record card and bring it to every appointment.

Making History

The nurse may employ a direct interviewing style to obtain information during the history-taking process. Alternatively, the information might be obtained indirectly by completing a questionnaire that the format provides. The direct approach outperforms the indirect one. However, the direct approach is not always possible due to time restrictions. If a direct approach is not possible, go over your parents' written response and ask them about any odd responses.

The following facts about history can be gathered

• Identifying Information
  • Name, age, sex, address, place and date of birth, race, ethnicity, and religion, as well as the time and date of the interview, etc.
• Chief Complaint
  • To determine the main precise cause for the child's and parents' seeking expert medical help. The main grievances are what brought the youngster into the clinic or hospital in the first place. Open-ended neutral questions like, "Why are you here today?" and "How can I help you?" are used to elicit the main complaint.
• Present illness
  • To learn every detail concerning the main grievances. The narrative of the primary complaint from its earliest onset through its progression to the present is the history of the current illness. The four main parts of it are;
    • The onset's specifics.
    • An exhaustive time history.
    • The current situation.
    • Why I'm asking for assistance right now.
• Past History
  • To elicit information about the child's prior illnesses, accidents, or surgeries. The past history focuses on a number of areas that are typically erased from an adult's background and includes information about all previous facets of the child's health status, including;
    • History of birth.
    • illnesses, injuries, or operations in the past.
    • Contemporary pharmaceuticals
    • Allergies.
    • Vaccines; growth charts.
• Review of System
  • to elicit details about any potential health issues. Similar to the sequence of the physical examination, the review of the system includes a detailed inspection of each body system. Preceding the query with an explanation of why the information is required and assuring the parents that the children's primary issues have not been ignored is advised because asking a question concerning another body system may seem unrelated and unnecessary to the parents or youngster.
    • General
    • Integument
    • Head
    • Eyes
    • Nose
    • Mouth
    • Throat
    • Neck
    • Chest
    • Respiratory system
    • Cardiovascular system
    • Genitourinary
    • Gynecologic
    • Musculoskeletal
    • Neurological
    • Endocrine.
• Family Medical History
  • To determine the presence of hereditary characteristics or diseases with familial tendencies, and to evaluate family members' exposure to communicable diseases and health-related family practices.
• Psychological History
  • To learn more about the child's perception of himself or herself. Observe children to get a basic picture of how they behave in terms of their self-assurance when interacting with others, their capacity for question-answering, and their aptitude to manage novel situations.
• Nutritional Assessment
  • To learn more about the child's dietary requirements and intake. A useful and practical part of a nutritional assessment is knowing the child's dietary consumption. It is one of the most challenging aspects to evaluate, though.

A List of The Vital Signs

The taking of vital signs is a crucial step because each person's vital signs provide a baseline of data or information about them. Vital signs that must be noted include respiratory rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, and temperature.

• Measuring Weight
  • To stop the youngster from becoming cold, keep a cloth in the weighing pan.
  • With the cloth in the pan, reset the scale to zero.
  • Gently placed the naked kid in the weighing pan on the cloth.
  • The child's weight and the weight's weight to stabilize.
  • Record the weight as soon as it is measured.
• Measuring Length
  • To measure a child's length, you need two people.
    • One Person Should
      • Help the kid place their face on the measuring board, support their head, and place their head against the headboard.
      • The crown of a head should be pressed up against the headboard.
      • Verify that the child does not slant or shift positions while lying straight along the board's centerline.
    • The Second Person Should
      • The youngsters are placed on the broad, supporting the trunk.
      • On the board, place the child flat.
      • Place the foot piece firmly against the heels with one hand while pressing down with the other on the shins above the ankles or the knees.
      • Heels gauge the length and note it right away.

Physical Examination 

The child should be naked so they may be easily inspected before the community health nurse weighs the moms and children. Nurses observe, evaluate, and make diagnoses. Treatment is prescribed after discussing mild problems. Nutritional status is evaluated, breastfeeding is supported, and guidance is offered, particularly regarding appropriate weaning foods for kids older than six months. Every emergency condition is handled. Depending on what the mother needs, health education is provided. Any issues are talked about. It is crucial to assist and encourage the mothers.

• Developmental Assessment
  • The community health nurse regularly pays close attention to each child. The skills a child should have at a given age are known as developmental milestones. A physical, mental, emotional, or social impairment or illness could be the cause of any delay. Treatment for any ailment or handicap should begin right away.
• Assessment of Nutritional Status
  • To learn more about the child's nutritional intake and needs, and whether they are being met. The nutritional assessment includes the child's dietary intake knowledge, which is useful and practical. But it's also one of the hardest things to evaluate.

Including Demonstrations on Nutrition and Health Education

Giving moms who are visiting the clinic information about nursing, weaning, personal cleanliness, birth spacing, etc.

The containment must be while imparting instruction

• Be straightforward, concise, and pertinent.
• Involve your mum in the process.
• Be prepared to address local priorities at the time.
• Should be both interesting and educational.

Immunization Services

Immunization is the process of preventing disease by introducing a living, dead, or weak (attenuated) organism into the body of the human. After receiving an antigen in the form of a vaccination that causes the body to produce antibodies, one gains immunity. The body is then protected from the targeted pathogen. The procedure of immunization is used to develop resistance to an infectious disease. It is the process of artificially enhancing immunity. In Nepal, vaccinations are administered against 8 diseases. These illnesses include influenza virus, polio, measles, hepatitis, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Mothers should get education on the value of immunization in order to protect their children from several forms of fatal diseases. Prevention is always preferable to treatment. Immunization against a disease is more cost-effective than treating a patient after they become ill.

Treatment of Childhood Illness

Common pediatric illnesses include diarrheal disorders, worm infestations, acute respiratory infections, skin infections, malnutrition, etc. should be treated at a pediatric clinic. The community health nurse gains the ability to distinguish between minor and serious cases as well as when significant cases require referral.

Medication Distribution and Prescriptions

• Is carried by the community health nurse or other supporting medical personnel.
• Only necessary medications should be prescribed.
• The amount and timing of the medicine intake must be clearly explained.
• The mother is instructed to administer the medication exactly as directed, finish the course, and store it safely out of small children's reach.
• The distribution of prepackaged medications is quick and simple.
• A rough estimate of the required dosage is provided.
• Injections ought to be avoided if oral medications are appropriate.
• On the child's card, the doctor should properly date and sign the prescription.

Maintain Growth Chart

The child's physical development and growth are clearly displayed on the growth chart or "Road to health" chart. Immunization records, registration information, weight record forms, health education, and nutrition are all included. The growth chart is one of the crucial instruments utilized in the pediatric clinic. Health professionals who are caring for the youngsters should become familiar with the card.

REFERENCE

Ambika Rai, Kabita Dahal. Community Health Nursing II. Kathmandu: Makalu Publication House, 2012 (reprint).

Pradhan H.B., 1999, 3rd edition, A Textbook of Health Education, Educational resources  for health

Neerja KP, 2003 (Reprint 2004), Textbook of Nursing Education, first edition, Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd. New Delhi

Dr.Suwal S.N. & Tuitui R. (2063) A Textbook of Community Health Nursing, 1st edition, Vidyarthi Prakashan (P). Ltd. Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu

J.F MC Kenzie, RR Pinger & J.E. Kotecki, 2004, An introduction to community health, 5th edition, Jones & Bartlette