Health reviews for two-year-olds

The Health Visiting Service in Wigan and Leigh, provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, is encouraging mums and dads to take up the offer of the assessment which is offered to all children.

The review is delivered by community nursery nurses and health visitors in clinics, Early Years settings, Start Well family centres and family homes across Wigan and Leigh.

Invitations to attend the checks are sent by the health visiting service to every parent in the borough who has a child between two and two and a half years’ old.

Community nursery nurse Sam Abbott said: “The review is a chance for parents to speak to a nursery nurse or health visitor about their child’s physical health, growth and development. We will discuss social, emotional and language development as well as any concerns about their child’s hearing and vision.

“Information is given on encouraging good sleeping habits, tooth brushing, toilet training, keeping your child safe and vaccinations.”

Another element of the two-year review in Wigan and Leigh includes the measure of a child’s height, weight and body mass index (BMI).

Children with a high BMI are more likely to become overweight adults, putting them at increased risk of a range of physical and emotional health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and emotional wellbeing.

If a child’s BMI is measured as high during a two-year review, parents can then access further support and advice from the health visiting service and be signposted for multi-agency support as required.

For more about health visiting in Wigan visit www.bridgewater.nhs.uk/healthvisitingservice.

More information about the Let’s Get Movin’ Team can be found at https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Education/Lets-get-movin.aspx.