Four Year-Old Checkup

Diet:

  • Nonfat or 1% milk is recommended at this age.  Your child should get about 16-24 ounces (2-3 cups) of milk per day.
  • Your child does not need sweetened drinks (like juice, soda, Gatorade, lemonade, punch, Koolaid, etc). Juice is optional. If you give them, give no more than 4-6 ounces (1/2-2/3 a cup) a day and give only once a day.
  • It is better for your child to drink milk and water rather than sweetened drinks.
  • All children should take a daily multivitamin.

Car Seat:

  • Your child should always ride in a car seat or a booster seat (usually by 40 pounds) in the back seat of the car

Safety:

  • Your child should always wear a bike helmet when riding a bicycle, and a helmet and pads when rollerskating, rollerblading or riding a scooter or skateboard.
  • Continue home childproofing: electric outlet covers, poison prevention, choking prevention and drowning prevention.
  • Gun safety: It is SAFEST not to have guns in the home with children.
  • If guns are in the home, they should be locked up, unloaded, and the ammunition kept locked separately.

Development:

  • Normal development for children between 4 and 5 years of age
  • Speak in complete sentence and speech is easy to understand.
  • Knows alphabet, learns to write name. Learning letters and numbers.
  • Draws simple person
  • Can tell you about his/her day
  • Potty trained during the day.  Often still bedwetting at night.

Guidance:

  • Encourage language development, read to your child everyday.
  • Limit TV time to no more then 2 hours per day.
  • Brush your child’s teeth twice a day.  Use fluoride toothpaste (a small, pea-sized dab).
  • Regular dental checkups every 6 months are recommended.
  • Consider enrolling your child in preschool
  • This is a good age for swimming lessons
  • Protect your child from the sun.  Use sunscreen SPF 30 or higher, with both UVA and UVB protection.

Flu Vaccine:

  • Return for a flu vaccine every fall/winter: The first year that your child gets a flu vaccine, they need two doses given at least one month apart to be protected.

Next Check Up:  In 1 Year when your child is 5 years old

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