Child Health Case Description
The case that a mother is obese and the father has a normal weight significantly affects the 2-year-old child. She clearly has a high chance of suffering from obesity in her growth. This complication in a child has high risks to her health system.
Health Issues and Risks Relevant to the Child
Obesity at a young age causes severe complications that could affect her future life. High cholesterol levels could lead to fatty liver diseases (Liberali et al., 2021). The child could live with a long-term complication of coronary artery disease. These risks depict a minimal likelihood of a child growing up in good health. It is important to gain a full understanding of the child’s health rather than waiting to identify changes in physical features in her growth.
A child living with an obese mother and a normal-weight father is at risk of growing up with obesity. Health practitioners depict that a child carries more of their mother’s genes than the father’s. This occurs due to a body organ, the mitochondria, which is receivable from the mother. The child is considered healthy even though one of the parents is considered overweight. However, changes in diet, such as high calories, may affect the child’s health in terms of increased weight.
At two years, the child is not yet obese, but based on genetic factors, she might suffer from obesity if appropriate action is not taken. The child is not living in a stable growing environment since her Body Mass Index (BMI) is 25% to 40 % inheritable, and that links her to being obese (Liberali et al., 2021). Obesity has been linked to various health complications that may affect a 2-year-old child. The risk of suffering from high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels may further affect the heart. Additionally, diabetes and childhood asthma are likely to affect the child. Further, the child may suffer emotionally and socially due to her obese status, which results in bullying and low self-esteem.
Risk Identification and the Need for Further Sensitive Health Inquiry
Assessing the weight of this child is crucial to identify her wellness program and risk-related pattern. This assessment requires additional information, such as asking the child about her eating habits, a particular food, and how often she consumes it. Further, it is ideal to discover if the child participates in physical exercise. This aids in identifying if the child spends more time indoors than socializing with kids her age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that a child engage in physical activities for at least 60 minutes each day to avoid complications such as obesity (Liberali et al., 2021).
Also, it is important to discover her favorite food and how regularly she eats this type of food. Further, ascertain whether she consumes fruits to gain insight into her balanced diet. Calculating her BMI is crucial to assess the total fat in her body and her nutritional status. Therefore, this information is essential in studying her body weight and whether her diet pattern could contribute to obesity in her life.
The ideal way to gather information is by addressing the child’s health concerns. As the child grows, it is important to let her know about her health status and the wellness program. Engage respectfully and nonjudgmentally to gather as much information as required. Further, engage in a discussion program that facilitates understanding of risks associated with obesity and how overweight can be avoided (Liberali et al., 2021). Therefore, a child should be subjected to appreciation and a sense of acceptability at a young age. When gathering information, such a child should be aware of the existence of a recovery program to avoid suicidal thoughts and negative acts in her life.
Sensitive Questions to Ask Parents or Caregivers About the Child’s Health
The questions I would ask parents and caregivers based on their potential sensitivities include whether the child has any medical complication or takes drugs that may impact their weight. Additionally, I would enquire about the child’s family background to confirm if obesity is a genetic issue that cannot be treated. Moreover, I would ask her parents whether they used over-the-counter medicine, which could have otherwise had health complications for a child. It would be ideal to ask the mother about her pregnancy history, such as whether she developed gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Strategies to Support Caregiver Engagement in Addressing the Child’s Weight
Parents and caregivers have a crucial role in developing a healthy lifestyle for a child. Concerning health and weight, a parent should focus on a child’s diet and daily activity. This is essential to maintain the weight since a parent knows what a child eats and the impact of the food on the teen’s body. A parent is obliged to remain proactive about their child by educating them on the negative impacts of poor health habits (Liberali et al., 2021). They should teach them that exercise is not only beneficial in health programs but also helpful in their growth and development stage. These strategies benefit a child’s health and weight and ensure they remain free from health risks. Therefore, being open and nonjudgmental aids in assessing the obesity situation and monitoring a child’s growth pattern.
Reference List
Liberali, R., Del Castanhel, F., Kupek, E., & Assis, M. A. A. D. (2021). Latent class analysis of lifestyle risk factors and association with overweight and/or obesity in children and adolescents: systematic review. Childhood Obesity, 17(1), 2-15.
