How to address the appointment with Chloe
Children, especially toddlers suffer from many complications that physicians find difficult to establish because the victims cannot express themselves. A health professional presented with the case of a young child uses available literature and professional skills to plan for the patient’s appointment. One of the most common examinations used by doctors to diagnose children with developmental problems like Chloe is neurological examination. The doctor examines the child’s nervous system that includes the brain, the spinal cord, and the nervous systems originating and ending at these sections (Dulac, Lassonde & Sarnat, 2013).
Chloe presented some clinical symptoms and medical history that demanded the performance of the neurology examination. The evaluation process aims at testing functionality of the child’s nervous system. The nervous system acts as the key part that controls functions most important parts of the body that influences the child’s growth and development (Health Encyclopedia, 2016). During the appointment for the examination, the child undergoes various infant reflex tests. The main recommended reflex tests for Chloe based on her condition are Moro’s reflex, Palmar, and Plantar grasp, blinking, and crawling.
Specific assessment tools for guiding the evaluation
The neurological evaluation on a toddler requires specific assessment tools. The age of the child plays a critical role when selecting the correct tools to carry out the evaluation. One of the tools that find more application in examining the infant reflex is the AVPU Scale. The scale assists in testing the child’s consciousness in four major areas, Attention, response to Voice, respond to Pain, and Unresponsiveness to different types of stimuli (Roper, 2014). Other instruments that assist in the assessment include lights to test blinking and a pair of scissors to test her grasping skills.
Expectations from a normal six-month-old
A neurology examination test expects some behavior and responses from a normal six-month-old child. During the test, the physician checks at different responses of the child when subjected to various types of tests. The doctor checks the ability of the child to control the head, child’s ability to imitate sounds and discover facial expressions, baby’s attempt to roll, and the use of individual fingers to pick an object placed near the baby (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). When exposed to light direct to the eyes, a normal baby closes his or her eyes to show response to light. During the Bibinski reflex, a normal six-year-old infant extends his or her toes upwards when given a small stroke on the foot. Additionally, a normal baby always attempt crawling when placed lying on the abdomen to get to a comfortable position. During the Moro’s reflex test, the child tends to throw the arm outwards, throw back the head, and open his or her hands in response to a quick change from the original position. When testing for Palmar and Plantar grasp, fingers of a normal infant curl around the object in an attempt to grasp it (Hills, n.d).
Time taken for Chloe to catch up developmentally
Every parent has a dream of seeing the baby grow without any developmental problems to adulthood. However, many children experience growth challenges since birth that affects their normal development. Premature birth affects the child growth pattern demanding early interventions to establish the right care to give the toddler to increase the “catch up” development time. Chloe’s medical history from the occupational therapist and speech pathologist shows she has a problem with normal development. Additionally, the neurology examination revealed the infant has difficulties with controlling her neck and abnormal staring episodes. Chloe may take one to two years before catching up with the normal growth and development based on her current clinical test results. However, Chloe’s history questions the girl’s ability to “catch up” within one to two years of growth. The absence of her previous medical records creates a challenge in proofing her health condition that brings doubts about the proposed “catch up” period.
References
Dulac, O., Lassonde, M., & Sarnat, H. B. (2013). Pediatric Neurology, Part I: Handbook of
Clinical Neurology. Burlington: Elsevier Science.
Health Encyclopedia. (2016). Neurological Exam for Children. University of Rochester Medical
Center. Retrieved April 14, 2016 from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/Encyclopedia/Content.aspx?ContentTypeID=90&ContentID=P02613
Hills, W. (n.d). Pediatric and Infant Neurologic Examination. Retrieved from
http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/doernbecher/research-education/education/med-education/upload/ped-neuro-exam-edit-05-8-13.pdf
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015, July 09). Healthy Lifestyle: Infant and toddler health. Mayo Clinic.
Retrieved April 14, 2016 from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/healthy-baby/art-20044767
Roper, T. A. (2014). Clinical skills (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press
