Cork Kerry Community Healthcare is reminding new parents and parents of younger children that they can contact their local Public Health Nurse for support if they have any concerns about their child’s development.

Public Health Nurses provide child health screening, developmental surveillance, key health messages and support to parents from birth.

While public health nurses are still visiting new babies and their parents after their discharge from maternity hospitals, a number of other scheduled early childhood appointments have been paused.

The purpose of these early childhood appointments is to carry out a developmental assessment to see if your child is growing and developing skills that are suitable for their age and similar to children of the same age. It also allows parents and guardians an opportunity to discuss any concerns they may have and to refer your child to other healthcare services if required.

Regrettably due to COVID-19 restrictions and related demands on services, child vision and hearing checks for Junior and Senior Infant pupils, are paused. Immunisation clinics, including HPV (human papillomavirus) are also delayed. Clinics will recommence once current Level 5 restrictions are withdrawn. Initially these clinics will address the appointments postponed during previous lockdowns.

"While these developmental assessments are paused, there are still plenty of activities which parents can do at home with their children to support their development,”  Public Health Nurse for South Lee, Aine O'Sullivan, said. “We also recommend that you look at the HSE website mychild.ie, where there’s lot of very useful and easy-to-follow advice about child development at different ages, nutrition, safety in the home, dental health, speech and social and emotional development"

Parents and guardians can access useful books on mychild.ie.

The My Child 0-2 year book is at www2.hse.ie/wellbeing/child-health/my-child-0-to-2-years.pdf

My Child 2 to 5 years is at www2.hse.ie/wellbeing/child-health/my-child-2-to-5-years.pdf

In addition, parents should still contact their GP to arrange visits for their vaccines at two, four, six, 12 and 13 months. These important vaccines protect babies from serious infectious diseases.

If you don’t have your PHN’s phone number or if they have been redeployed, you can contact your local Public Health Nursing Department on 066 7184555.