My pedi. referred me over the get my son who is a year old his "One year old bloodwork". I forgot to ask what that means? What are they checking for? Does anyone know? If not I'll have to call the office. Thanks.
Okay, I'm glad I asked. I'm re-thinking having him have it done now. I thought everyone did it.
I don't think that my son had 1 year bloodwork. I would call the ped and ask what they are screening for.
for lead and iron levels bc they are testing for lead they do it in the arm when your child is older they will check for anemia with a simple finger stick. I don't know about your state but it is actually a law that children under the age of 5 must be tested for lead annually here not just for school/daycare it is mandatory that the pediatricians test for it. It is simple and just a little pinch and much more accurate then a finger stick. If your child was playing with something that had lead in it and then had a finger stick the finger stick lead test would be way off why go through that scare. I highly recommend you don't skip it. Its better to find out now, correct the problem w/ the house paint/pipes if there is one and get the intervention needed for possible learning problems it may cause in the future.
It is not a big deal at all if your pediatrician's office has skilled MAs (medical assistants) that are comfortable with it. If that office does routine draws, then I bet you they are use to it. Yes the easiest vein to get blood from is the anticubital in the fold of the arm, but that is because it is large and very quick. I think the 'band around the arm" hurts more than the draw itself. Tell them to use a butterfly needle and it truly is not a big deal. They will check his Hgb (very very imprtant for oxygen and brain development), they will check his iron levels, if you live in a home built before 1979, they will check lead levels. They will check Vit.D levels. They will check white cell counts. All from one blood draw. All of these levels can be high/low without any symptoms. The effects of these levels many times are not reversible; due to them not being noticed for a looooong time. I just do not think I would opt out if it was something they were offering.
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UPDATE: Regarding the method of drawing the blood... my pediatrican gave us the option of a needle-draw from the arm or a small pin-prick on the finger. We went with the finger option. It was quick and relatively painless. Don't forget to give your son some painkiller before you go and stop for a milkshake on the way home!
For my son, they were checking for lead levels and iron. In some states it's required for daycare and preschool!
My babe got this done and it was no big deal at all. They check for lead levels, iron levels, cbc and to check that your child isnt lacking in any nutritients. I would recommend it because when my child got his, it reported that he had low iron levels, so I put him on enfamils poly vi sol with iron and his iron levels went right back up. Basically, the blood test is just to make sure that everything is as it should be.
My child did not have to do this at one year. Actually, she has not had to do this at all. I would call and check!
If your child is not in daycare and/or is not showing any signs of lead poisoning I would not do this. It's a big blood draw from the arm...or was in the case of my friend's little boy.
Agree with some of the others. My kids NEVER had 1 yr. or 2 yr...etc... blood work done!
They had blood drawn if something was suspected. Often, insurance will NOT pay for blood or lab work if there is no diagnosis listed.
Please ask more questions!
I skipped mine, I didn't feel it was necessary for him to have bloodwork. And as far as I know they do not test annually in TX for lead, my son has not been tested annually for that I know that for a fact. He had a finger stick a few years ago other than that no routine bloodwork. (He's 10 for the record.)
I agree with checking with the pediatricians and get more info on what they are looking for and how necessary it is!
