The start of the new school year is approaching. Although most parents have prepared school uniforms, bags, shoes and other supplies for their children, preparing children for school and kindergarten from a health perspective often remains a secondary consideration.
Pediatrician-neonatologist Kamil Sharifov stated in his comments that one of the main parts of school preparation should be having the child examined by a pediatrician.
According to him, the child’s height, weight and overall development should be assessed during the examination, and appropriate tests should be carried out when necessary: “Most parents prepare clothes, shoes, bags, notebooks and pencils for school. However, checking the child’s health is just as important as all of these. A child can go to school with last year’s bag, but their health cannot be assessed using indicators from last year”.
The doctor noted that iron deficiency and anemia can cause fatigue, reduced attention and weakened cognitive indicators in children, ultimately leading to lower school performance.
According to K. Sharifov, it is advisable to assess iron deficiency and anemia, especially in children with nutritional problems, clinical signs or other risk factors. The risk of iron deficiency should also be considered separately in adolescent girls who have begun menstruating. At the same time, the pediatrician does not consider it appropriate to prescribe numerous tests without reason for every child who appears healthy:
“The aim is not to perform as many tests as possible. The pediatrician should decide which examinations are necessary by taking the child’s age, complaints and risk factors into account”.

“The sleep schedule needs to be changed starting now”
The doctor stressed that special attention should also be paid to children’s sleep schedules during the period of preparing for school.

In his opinion, it is not the right approach to suddenly wake a child who has become accustomed to going to bed late and waking up late during the summer months early on the first day of school: “Before school starts, the child’s bedtime and waking hours should gradually be adjusted to the school schedule. Normal sleep is important for a child’s attention, memory and activity during the day”.

Vaccination cards should be checked
K. Sharifov stated that since schools and kindergartens are places where children are in close contact with one another, the risk of infections spreading also increases.
For this reason, before the new school year begins, parents are advised to review the child’s vaccination card and check whether the vaccinations appropriate for their age have been completed.
“If there are incomplete vaccinations, their completion should be planned together with a doctor. Vaccination helps protect not only the child but also infants, older people, and individuals with chronic diseases or weakened immune systems living at home from certain infections”, - the pediatrician stated.
The flu vaccine should also be on the agenda
Recalling that respiratory infections increase during the autumn-winter season, the doctor considered it important to also consider the flu vaccine.

He stated that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children older than 6 months who have no medical contraindications receive the seasonal flu vaccine every year.

“The purpose of the flu vaccine is not only to prevent infection. Vaccination can help reduce the risk of severe illness and hospitalization, while also limiting the spread of the infection within the family”, - K. Sharifov said.

According to the pediatrician, preparing for school should not be limited to purchasing school supplies:

“A bag, notebook and uniform can be purchased in a few hours. But the child’s health needs to be given attention 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 aim is not to send the child to school on the first day with the most beautiful bag. The main goal is for the child to be healthy, energetic, able to concentrate and genuinely ready for the new school year”.