The early detection examinations are important building blocks of health care for your child. The regular examinations by your pediatrician offer the opportunity to identify and treat abnormalities in child development and diseases at an early stage.
Priorities of the Checkups for children and adolescents are reviewing the age-appropriate development and the early detection of illnesses in order to be able to initiate timely treatment or targeted support if necessary. Some diseases are already recognizable in infants, other disorders only become noticeable from a certain age. The timing and content of the individual provisions are coordinated with this. For the well-being of your child, it is important to keep all examination appointments on time. The examination periods should also be observed for premature babies.
If your child has chronic illnesses or a disability, the examinations are adapted to the individual situation.
If you notice any peculiarities in your child or if you are concerned about its healthy development, you should also be independent of the checkups contact your pediatrician.
Extended early detection program
The statutory early detection program was revised and expanded in September 2016 with the restructuring of the children’s directive by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). The new children’s examination program has been an outpatient health insurance benefit since January 2017.
The contents of the provisions U1 to U9 have been revised and standardized in more detail. In addition to extensive studies of physical and mental development, psychological and social aspects have become more important than before.
In addition to the early detection of illness, the individual stress and health risks of the child should also be given greater consideration, and the prevention-oriented advice to parents should be tailored to this. If necessary, you will receive a prevention recommendation and information on regional parent-child offers.
Education and advice on how parents can contribute to the healthy development of their child are also part of the early diagnosis examinations. The pediatrician will advise you on topics such as breastfeeding and nutrition, promoting language development or accident prevention, depending on your child’s age. Information sheets with the most important tips can be found on the website of the professional association of pediatricians.
An important focus is also to check the vaccination status of your child and to provide information and advice on the recommended vaccinations.
If diseases or signs of developmental disorders are identified during the preventive medical check-ups, your pediatrician will discuss the treatment and support measures with you and, if necessary, take further steps for diagnosis and therapy.
The cost of that U examinations U1 to U9 and for the youth health examination J1 are borne by the statutory health insurers, provided that these are carried out within the intended period (within certain tolerance limits). The vaccinations for your child are also free of charge for you. In addition, pediatricians recommend a U10 and U11 and a J2, which are not reimbursed by all health insurance companies.
Documentation in "Yellow booklet"
The results of the early detection examinations U1 to U9 are documented in detail by the pediatrician in the so-called "yellow booklet" of your child. Since September 2016 there has been a new children’s examination booklet that has been adapted to the updated contents of the U1 to U9. The new yellow booklet contains some useful innovations for parents too:
- Parents’ information explains the examinations and focal points of each U-examination.
- There is also a field in which you can note any abnormalities in your child that you would like to discuss with your pediatrician before each examination.
- A removable participation card confirms that every U examination has been carried out from U2. This enables you to prove, if necessary, for example when you start kindergarten, that your child has participated in the preventive care program and that you have received vaccination advice – without disclosing confidential test results.
Parents of newborns receive the children’s examination booklet shortly after birth. Parents of a child who was born before 2016 usually still have an older children’s examination book. Current insert sheets are inserted into this for the newer U examinations.
You should keep the children’s examination booklet together with the vaccination certificate and bring it with you to the doctor.
Remember to make an appointment with your pediatrician in good time for checkups and vaccinations. Let our reminder service remind you of all early detection examinations!
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