Pediatric Health Promotion Plan

Pediatric Health Promotion Plan

Health promotion remains relevant in the pursuit of community and individual growth and development. Integral to global health promotion campaigns is the resolve to maintain optimal children and adolescent health. A pediatric health promotion plan encompasses all activities that enhance children’s health. This includes but is not limited to immunization against communicable diseases, access to age-appropriate screening tests, maintenance of good sleeping habits and oral health, and prevention of childhood trauma. Musgrave & Payler (2021) note that a pediatric health promotion plan provides the groundwork for community growth and development. Its ability to alleviate disease burden among children and prevent premature deaths makes it essential in health promotion plans for governments across the globe. This paper details a pediatric health promotion plan for an immigrant family.

Background Information

The case is of an immigrant family with two children aged two and a half years and six months, respectively. The family migrated recently and is presenting at the clinic for the first time. They do not speak English fluently. The children’s history revealed they had not seen a healthcare provider for two years. Analysis of this family’s case reveals factors that may predispose the children to various illnesses. Furthermore, poor health-seeking behavior, poor vaccinations, and poor adoption of health promotion practices are apparent in this family’s case.

Scope and Analysis of the Pediatric Health Promotion Plan

This pediatric health promotion plan will be centered around developmental milestones assessment, vaccinations, safety, and wellness preservation. The first step in the pediatric health promotion plan for these children is to assess their developmental milestones and physical health.

Analysis of Developmental Milestones and Physical Growth

At six months, a child should be able to reach with one hand, transfer from hand to hand, and begin to sit unsupported, giggle, laugh, or babble. A six-month-old infant should weigh approximately 6.9-8 kgs and be 26- 28 inches in length. They should also have a pulse rate of between 120 and 140 beats per minute, a body temperature of about 37.5 degrees, a blood pressure of approximately 87-105/ 53-66, and a respiratory rate of 30-60 breaths per minute. Caregivers, in this respect, should assess the younger child for these abilities to identify any developmental delays and the physical health of the younger child.

At two and a half years, a toddler should be able to stand alone, finger feed, make strange marks on a paper, point fingers purposely and in the right direction, imitate body movements and gestures, and begin to use one-two word jargon. Additionally, a baby of this age should weigh approximately 28 pounds and 11 ounces for girls and 30 pounds for boys, and measure about 2 ft 11.5 in for girls and 3 ft (91.3 cm) for boys. They should also have a respiratory rate of 24-40 breaths per minute, a pulse rate of 80-130 beats per minute, a body temperature of 37-37.2 degrees Celsius, and a heart rate of 91-120/46-80. Likewise, the older child should be assessed to ascertain any developmental delays that may be suggestive of poor health and growth retardation.

Scope:Vaccinations

Childhood vaccinations are integral to pediatric health promotion plans. Vaccines protect children against communicable diseases and subsequent suffering and premature deaths of children (Nandi & Shet, 2020). The CDC vaccination schedule outlines common vaccines children should receive to protect them from illnesses. Per the CDC recommendations, all children should receive the first dose of Hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine at birth. In this case, a collaborative history of vaccinations should be taken to ascertain whether these children had received the first dose of the HepB vaccine, and if negative, be advised on the need for this vaccine. The second dose of the HepB vaccine is administered at two months. Additionally, initial doses of rotavirus vaccine, Diphtheria, Tetanus, acellular pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae, Pneumococcal conjugate, and inactivated poliovirus vaccines should be administered two months after birth (CDC, 2023). Likewise, a collaborative history of the children’s vaccination should be taken to ascertain their eligibility and suitability for these vaccines.

Analysis of the Vaccination Status

The younger child is eligible for vaccines administered at six months of age. These include the third dose of HepB, the second dose of inactivated poliovirus, the third dose of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, the third dose of Diphtheria, tetanus, acellular Pertussis vaccines, and the third dose of Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (CDC, 2023). The child will also be eligible to receive the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccines, Varicella (VAR), and Hepatitis A (HepA)-2 vaccines between 12 and 18 months (CDC, 2023). The eligibility and suitability to receive these vaccines will be determined for the older child upon establishing their vaccination status.

Scope and Analysis: Safety

The safety of children is an essential component of pediatric health promotion plans. Safety maintenance for children encompasses all actions taken to keep children from harm. For newborns and infants, close supervision is necessary to enable the detection of any anomaly in the child’s health. Safety enhancement efforts for children aged 12 months and below include never leaving the child unattended to the bed, sofa, or changing table to prevent them from falling. Additionally, the child’s caregivers should install guards on windows, staircases, or anywhere where the potential of falling is evident. They should also refrain from carrying hot liquids or foods to prevent the child from sustaining burnt injuries. The child’s environment should also be kept clean and free from small objects that may be within their reach and have the potential to cause injury to them. Medicines, toxic cleaning agents, kerosene, pesticides, and any harmful substances should be locked in cabinets away from the children to safeguard children aged 12 months and above from injury (CDC, 2023). Constant supervision is also necessary for children in this age group to prevent them from engaging in any activity that may harm them.
Maintaining safety during locomotion should also be a priority for a child’s caregiver. From birth until the age of 2-4 years, children should be buckled in rear-facing car seats to prevent them from falling off when the car is moving. Children who outgrow the rear-facing seat position should be buckled in a forward-facing car seat until they attain the minimum weight and height to be seated in a car seat. Other precautionary measures are taken for children buying age-appropriate toys as they can swallow smaller toys, storing garden tools in locked cabinets, and keeping them away from highly flammable substances and fireplaces.

Analysis of Health Promotion

Health promotion sums up all actions taken to keep children healthy. For an immigrant family, several health promotional activities can be implemented to improve the health and wellness of the children and the family in its entirety. Access to nutritious foods is paramount for all children as proper nutrition promotes growth and boosts children’s immunity. Moreover, promoting access to nutritious foods for the children can be attained by educating the family on the benefits of a balanced diet and fresh foods for the growth of their children (Ziso et al., 2022). In families of low socioeconomic status, tailoring nutrition education to incorporate diets that are affordable to the family may be necessitated. Notably, introducing community food stores that contain healthier food choices may also help maintain access to healthy food choices and eliminate the problem of poor nutrition.
Subsequently, health-seeking behavior is an important component of pediatric health promotion plans. Health-seeking behaviors promote the adoption of healthcare resources available for kids and help children maintain contact with their caregivers. This way, caregivers can detect developmental anomalies and any apparent illness (Şenol & Şenol, 2023). Consistently, the family should be educated on the significance of having good health-seeking behavior. They should be told to visit their caregivers frequently, attend their clinics, and allow the children to receive the recommended vaccines for better health of their children.

Furthermore, pediatric screening for illnesses is also important when designing a pediatric health promotion plan. The younger child should be screened for the risk of anemia as part of the CDC health promotion guidelines for pediatrics. Routine screening for tuberculosis is also necessary as the family may have immigrated from areas where tuberculosis is prevalent. Other screening tests that will be essential for the younger child include the Finger test for anemia and the behavioral screening test. Additionally, routine visual tests are necessary to ascertain whether the child has optimal visual functionalities and development. The older child is eligible for visual screening tests, anemia risk, and behavioral screening to ascertain any developmental abnormalities. These screening tests help detect any underlying illness that may impact the children’s health and are necessary.

Analysis: Wellness Preservation

Wellness details attitudes and active decisions made by the individuals contributing to positive behaviors. Patient education is a strategy for wellness preservation. Inarguably, educating patients on aspects of their health empowers them to make important decisions on their health. In this case, the family should be educated on aspects of their children’s health, such as the need for vaccinations, nutrition, and health-seeking. This may help them make decisions that promote the health of their children.
To follow this, creating an encouraging, supportive, and loving environment for the children is also necessary for children’s growth and development. Showing children some love and care helps in fostering their ability to empathize with others. It may also help children develop long-lasting relationships even in their childhood. A supportive environment for children recognizes their self-care efforts, nurtures good behavior, and helps them live a satisfying life. This will help in creating the psychological tranquility necessary for their development and life transitions.

Conclusion

Subsequently, pediatric health promotion plan helps create healthier communities as such plans focus on aspects of a child’s life and development and are essential in keeping the child happy. Integral to pediatric health plans include childhood vaccinations, screening for various illnesses, and family education on aspects of pediatric health. As evident in the case, immigrant families, whose medical histories and health status may not be apparent, may benefit from a comprehensive plan that focuses on aspects of their health and health-seeking behavior.

References

CDC, (2023, April 27). Birth-18 years immunization schedule – healthcare providers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html
Musgrave, J., & Payler, J. (2021). Proposing a model for promoting children’s health in early childhood education and care settings. Children & Society, 35(5), 766–783. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12449
Nandi, A., & Shet, A. (2020, August 2). Why vaccines matter: Understanding the broader health, economic, and child development benefits of routine vaccination. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7482790/
Şenol, Y., & Şenol, F. B. (2023). Health promotion in preschool children. Children, 10(8), 1385. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10081385
Ziso, D., Chun, O. K., & Puglisi, M. J. (2022). Increasing access to healthy foods through improving food environment: A review of mixed methods intervention studies with residents of low-income communities. Nutrients, 14(11), 2278. https://doi.org/10.3390/

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Assignment Prompt
A family just migrated from another country to your area and you are seeing them in the clinic for the first time. They do not speak English well. There are two children, ages 2 years 6 months and 6 years. When taking the children’s history, you become aware they have not seen a provider in two years.

Utilizing the Health Promotion Guide available in the course and the CDC vaccination schedule, develop a treatment plan to include vaccinations, safety, health promotion, and wellness preservation for these children. Provide a rationale for recommendations from sources such as the CDC.

Expectations
• Length: 1500 words
• Format: APA
• Research: At least two high-level scholarly references in APA from within the last 5 years