The U2 examination is one of the preventive examinations for the newborn. It takes place between the 3rd and 10th day of life of the child.
There are a total of ten preventive medical check-ups for children and one health check-up for young people. All have the goal of identifying disorders in the child's physical, mental and social development at an early stage and thus treating them at an early stage. Participation in all U examinations is free and is covered by the health insurance.
Read more on the topic: Child development and U examinations
The U2 examination usually takes place between the 3rd and 10th day of life of the child. Like all U examinations, U2 is free and must be carried out by a pediatrician. If the child is still in the maternity hospital at this point, the U2 will usually take place there automatically. If the clinic has already been left, a resident pediatrician must be seen.
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When the newborn is discharged from the maternity hospital, the mother receives the yellow children's examination booklet, in which all results of the U-examinations are entered. The yellow booklet has been little revised since it was first published. However, since some useful investigations have been added that are not yet included in the yellow booklet, an additional green checkbook handed over for further check-ups. The booklets should be kept carefully. The booklets that Vaccination certificate (please refer: Vaccinations in the baby) as well as the Health insurance card be brought along.
The U2 examination takes place in the period between the hospital stay and the Puerperium.
An important part of the U2 examination is the anamnese. The pediatrician asks questions about the course of pregnancy and childbirth. He asks about the family circumstances in which the child is growing up and asks about the diseases of the parents and siblings in order to find out whether there are any risk factors.
The pediatrician examines the child in detail. First of all, the child is usually measured and weighed in order to be able to assess the development of height and weight. Then the physical exam takes place. During the examination, the doctor observes how the child is moving and whether certain reflexes are present. Attention is also paid to the relationship and interaction between mother and child.
Read more about this under Reflexes of a baby
To carry out the extended metabolic screening, some blood should be taken from the child on the 2nd or 3rd day of life, 36 to 72 hours after birth. Mostly it is carried out together with the U2. One in 1000 newborns develops a rare metabolic disorder or hormonal imbalance. If this is not recognized at an early stage, it can lead to organ damage and mental and physical disabilities. These diseases are usually not curable, but early treatment, for example a change in diet, can prevent the consequences or keep them as low as possible.
In the extended metabolic screening as part of the U2, a few drops of blood are dropped from the heel or a vein onto a special filter paper. After it has dried, the paper is sent to a screening laboratory and examined for 12 different diseases. A few days later, the sender will be informed of the result and, if necessary, will contact the parents. In urgent cases, the child’s parents are also notified directly by the laboratory. A positive screening result does not necessarily have to mean that there is a disease. In most cases, further examinations are necessary first.
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Hearing screening should be carried out on all newborns as part of U2. If there is a hearing impairment in small children or infants that is not recognized, this can have serious consequences. If too few hearing impressions are passed on to the brain in children in the first four years of life, this leads to a lower development of these parts of the brain. Even with intensive support, this can no longer be compensated for in the rest of life and has lasting consequences. Overall, the later a hearing disorder is discovered and treated, the more serious it is.
Treatment, possibly a hearing aid and the promotion of language skills should therefore always start as early as possible. The newborn hearing screening carried out as part of U2 therefore serves to detect congenital hearing disorders at the earliest possible point in time. Without this test, hearing impairment would often not be noticed until the age of two to four.
The active participation of the person tested is necessary for numerous hearing tests.Since this is not required of infants, simple objective tests are used in hearing screening: the function of the inner ear can be checked using the "otoacoustic emissions", the "brain stem audiometry" tests the transmission of nerve impulses from the ear to the brain and the processing of the signals in the brain. The tests are not painful and can be performed on the sleeping child. As a rule, the testing is carried out by non-medical staff.
Moderate to severe hearing impairment is detected in about 3 in 1000 newborns. Most of those affected are not deaf, but hear worse than normal. It is important to know that the hearing screening carried out as part of U2 cannot cover all hearing disorders. Some hearing impairments appear later and can therefore only be recognized then.
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Read also on this topic Hearing impairment in children
A Hip dysplasia is the most common congenital malformation of the skeleton. Hip dysplasia usually only causes problems in infancy. (please refer: Hip dysplasia in the childHowever, the problem is that the earlier this malformation is recognized and treated, the better the prognosis. Is the treatment done with plaster cast or Bandages early on, an excellent result can often be achieved with a short duration of therapy. For this reason, early detection means Ultrasound of the hip intended for all newborns as part of the U3.
Also genetic factors influence the development of hip dysplasia. Therefore, the ultrasound examination should already take place at U2 in children whose families have or were affected by a hip dislocation. There is an increased risk here, as is the case with the newborn Hip dislocation can arise. Even with existing ones Risk factors, again Birth from a breech position, the ultrasound scan should be preferred.
Vitamin K deficiency is a disease that generally occurs rarely, but is particularly serious. Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting. A vitamin K deficiency can lead to bleeding of the skin, but also of the gastrointestinal tract and particularly serious bleeding of the brain in a baby. For this reason, all infants are routinely given 2 mg of vitamin K as drops for U1, U2 and U3.
Does your child suffer from diaper rash and you don't know what to do? Our topic of diaper rash summarizes detailed information with therapeutic options for you.
Another important part of the U2 is a Advice to parents. The doctor gives Tips on how to behave in difficult situations and is a contact person for parents in their new life situation.
