Pre-school health checks topping the success charts in Whanganui

Whanganui is leading the way in B4 School checks for pre-schoolers. Photo / supplied

Whanganui parents are doing a great job of getting their children through vital B4 School checks.

In the 12 months to July nearly 97 cent of the district's 870 eligible 4-year-olds had their check. The rate is second only to South Canterbury District Health Board and is well above the Government's target of 90 per cent.

The B4 School checks are a vital health and development and cover key elements in the health of a growing child including oral health, development and behaviour, hearing and vision, height and weight and vaccinations.

B4 School co-ordinator Nicola Metcalfe said she was very happy with the result and proud of all the hard work that was done by a lot of people.

She is part of the Whanganui Regional Health Network outreach team whose job it is to see to children who have not been seen by their GP.

"You need good links and good networks, and we work with public health nurses, Plunket nurses, iwi organisations, Tamariki Ora and early childhood education centres,"

Metcalfe said the B4 School programme was piloted in Whanganui in 2008 before being rolled out across New Zealand in 2010.

She was pleased with the 2018-2019 figures as she said the Whanganui programme achieved equity for Asian, Pasifika and Maori four-year-olds with all registering over 100 per cent against the target.

Families choosing to decline checks had also decreased.

"This enforces that our families and whānau accept and value the contribution of B4 School checks to their child's health and development before starting primary school," Metcalfe said.

Whanganui has also achieved the Ministry of Health target of 95 per cent of four-year-olds who were identified as clinically obese are being referred for ongoing growth management and monitoring.