Health
Community Health Information
Colour Blindness
It’s good to know if a child is colour blind, as they may struggle in school with activities that use colours, such as drawing and sorting blocks.
Colour blindness might become obvious after the age of 4 years and is more common among boys. Children who are colour-blind can see as clearly as other children but cannot tell the difference between some colours or see colours differently from other children. This usually happens with reds and greens, and sometimes with blues and yellows.
If your child is colour blind, it’s good to inform their teacher about the condition. This will allow the teacher to choose activities that don’t involve spotting colour differences.
For further details, please see open hyperlink Raising Children Network.
If you have any concerns, colour vision testing can be performed by some General Practitioners (GP), eye specialists or optometrists.
Scoliosis
Early detection of scoliosis is crucial for managing child’s spinal health and ensuring the best possible outcomes. Scoliosis is a condition where the spine twists and curves sideways. It is more common in girls than in boys and typically becomes noticeable during growth spurts.
Most cases of scoliosis develop in otherwise healthy children, and the exact cause is often unknown.
Parents and children can look for signs such as uneven shoulders, uneven shoulder blades, a slightly tilted head, a noticeable curve in the back, or one hip being higher than the other. These can be spotted with a simple examination of your child’s back.
For more details on scoliosis and how to check for it, please open hyperlink Raising Children Network.
If you have any concerns, please contact your General Practitioner for advice.
Undescended testes
Screening for undescended testes is recommended for boys at school entry, typically around 4 to 5 years of age. Sometimes, the testes (also known as testicles) are in the scrotum at birth but may move up into the groin or abdomen at around 4-10 years of age. This happens because the cord that attaches the testis to the abdomen doesn’t grow at the same rate as the child.
Undescended testes do not fully descend into the scrotum and can affect one or both testes. Parents or guardians can encourage older children to check for absence of testes in the scrotum themselves. The condition is not painful but can lead to complications such as twisting of the testis, a groin hernia, reduced fertility, and testicular cancer.
For further details on undescended testes, see Raising Children Network. If you have any concerns, please contact your General Practitioner for advice.
COVID-19 symptoms and testing
Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:
- fever (≥37.5◦C) or chills
- cough
- shortness of breath
- sore throat
- runny or blocked nose
- loss of smell or taste
- headache or body aches
- fatigue.
If you develop COVID-like symptoms, you should test yourself as soon as you can with a rapid antigen test (RAT).
Alternatively, your GP or other medical practitioner can provide you with a pathology request form if polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for COVID-19 or other respiratory pathogens is required.
Early testing is important if you are at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19 and antiviral medication may be required.
Even if your test is negative, if you have COVID-like symptoms, you should still:
- stay home until your symptoms have substantially resolved
- wear a mask, undertake appropriate hand and respiratory hygiene, and avoid crowded areas, for any necessary trips outside the home
- call ahead to notify of symptoms before arrival at any necessary medical appointments
- avoid visiting people at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19, or high-risk settings such as residential aged care facilities, hospitals or other healthcare settings.
Judy Buckley
College Nurse