ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS full custom essay
Peter, a 12- year old, was an underweight child who is also born of severely underweight
parents is the choice of our discussion. The health risks related to his condition are numerous,
they include the following; malnutrition; underweight children are a reflection that they are not
eating a balanced diet or they do not have enough foods. Therefore, they are likely to suffer from
vitamin decencies, kwashiorkor, marasmus, to name a few. Underweight children also are at risk
of reduced immune system function because of the improper diet. They are also at risk of
osteoporosis that is a result of reduced vitamin D and calcium (Chambers et al., 2017).
Tools and tests that are suitable to diagnose the underweight children can be done using
various methods such as physical examination where they are examined head to toe and also
every organ in the body. Use of the previous medical, family history and the dietary history can
be helpful because the healthcare provider can be able to tract the source of the chief complaint
(Nieman, & Lee., 2019). The child’s weight pattern can be monitored as well in relation to the
standard growth curves. Additional tests that can fit to be used include; anthropometry, and use
or biochemical methods (Forbes, & Watt., 2015).
Several questions that can help obtain data about the child health from the parents can be;
how does a healthy diet look like to you? How can you describe the daily diet of the child? How
often do you feed your child with fruits? (Nieman, & Lee., 2019). Additionally, Peter's parents
should be engaged and let to participate in the monitoring and interventions of their child. Also,
they should be educated on the importance of good nutrition and proper weight because they
determine the overall outcome.
References
Chambers, M., Tanamas, S. K., Clark, E. J., Dunnigan, D. L., Kapadia, C. R., Hanson, R. L., …
& Sinha, M. (2017). Growth Tracking in Severely Obese or Underweight Children.
Pediatrics, 140(6).
Forbes, H., & Watt, E. (2015). Jarvis's physical examination and health assessment. Elsevier
Health Sciences.
Nieman, D. C., & Lee, R. (2019). Nutritional assessment. McGraw-Hill Education.
