Preparing for School Goes Beyond a Backpack and Uniform – Pediatrician’s Advice
- The new school year is approaching. Although most parents have already prepared school uniforms, backpacks, shoes, and other supplies for their children, preparing children for school and kindergarten from a health perspective is often overlooked.
- Pediatrician-neonatologist Kamil Sharifov stated that one of the key parts of preparing for school should be having the child examined by a pediatrician.
- According to him, during the examination, the child’s height, weight, and overall development should be assessed, and appropriate laboratory tests should be performed if necessary:
- “Most parents prepare clothes, shoes, backpacks, notebooks, and pencils for school. However, checking a child’s health is at least as important as all of these. A child can go to school with last year’s backpack, but their health should not be assessed based on last year’s measurements.”
- The doctor noted that iron deficiency and anemia can cause fatigue, reduced attention and cognitive performance in children, and consequently lead to poorer school performance.
- According to K. Sharifov, assessing iron deficiency and anemia is particularly appropriate in children who have nutritional problems, clinical symptoms, or other risk factors. In adolescent girls who have started menstruating, the risk of iron deficiency should be considered separately.
- At the same time, the pediatrician does not consider it appropriate to prescribe numerous tests without a specific reason to every child who appears healthy:
- “The goal is not to perform as many tests as possible. The pediatrician should determine which examinations are necessary based on the child’s age, complaints, and risk factors.”
- “The sleep schedule should be adjusted starting now”
- The doctor also emphasized that special attention should be paid to children’s sleep schedules during the school preparation period.
- In his opinion, it is not appropriate to suddenly wake up a child early on the first day of school if they have become accustomed to going to bed and waking up late during the summer months:
- “Before school starts, the child’s bedtime and wake-up time should gradually be adjusted to the school schedule. Adequate sleep is important for a child’s attention, memory, and activity throughout the day.”
- Vaccination records should be checked
- K. Sharifov noted that since schools and kindergartens are places where children have close contact with one another, the risk of infection transmission also increases.
- For this reason, before the new school year begins, parents are advised to review their child’s vaccination record and check whether all age-appropriate vaccinations have been completed.
- “If there are incomplete vaccinations, their completion should be planned together with a doctor. Vaccination helps protect not only the child themselves, but also infants, older adults, people with chronic diseases, and those with weakened immune systems living in the same household from certain infections,” the pediatrician said.
- Flu vaccination should also be considered
- The doctor recalled that respiratory infections increase during the autumn and winter seasons and emphasized that influenza vaccination should also be considered.
- He stated that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends annual seasonal influenza vaccination for children over 6 months of age who do not have medical contraindications.
- “The purpose of influenza vaccination is not only to prevent infection. Vaccination can help reduce the risk of severe illness and hospitalization, as well as limit the spread of infection within the family,” K. Sharifov said.
- According to the pediatrician, preparing for school should not be limited to purchasing school supplies:
- “A backpack, notebooks, and a uniform can be purchased within a few hours. However, attention should be paid to the child’s health in advance. A pediatric examination, assessment of growth and development, laboratory tests when necessary, vision screening, a proper sleep schedule, balanced nutrition, and completion of vaccinations are essential parts of school preparation.
- The goal is not simply to send the child to school on the first day with the most beautiful backpack. The main goal is for the child to be healthy, energetic, able to concentrate, and genuinely ready for the new school year.”
24 September 2026
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