著者

藤原 雅子 笠井 新一郎 今給黎 禎子 中山 翼 山田 弘幸

出版者

九州保健福祉大学

雑誌

九州保健福祉大学研究紀要 (ISSN:13455451)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.9, pp.107-112, 2008-03

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Infant health screenings are offered as part of public child health services all over Japan. However, there are regional differences in the contents of health screenings. Here, the problems with the current health screening system are discussed by presenting two children with developmental disorders who went undetected, despite exhibiting low birth weight. The results suggest that the current health screening system is flawed, as screened items and methods allow children with some developmental disorders to be overlooked. Other problems included poor assessment perspectives and no follow-up procedures after consultation. Extreme low birth weight is a type of developmental disorder that can be corrected with early therapy. Because one of the objectives of infant health screenings is early detection and therapy for children with disabilities, it is necessary to identify and monitor children who may have disorders. When taking into account the necessity of early detection and therapy for childhood disorders, and the importance of follow-up visits after screenings, it is necessary for speech therapists to be actively involved.