The U7a check-up takes place shortly before your child’s third birthday when they are 34 - 36 months old. It was introduced a few years ago because it became apparent that there was too much time between the U7 and U8. The U7a focuses on topics like healthy teeth, your child's linguistic development , how well they can already move and dealing with media.

As with all the U-check-ups, your paediatrician will give your child a physical examination. This includes an eye test, an ear exam, and an examination of their baby teeth. The doctor will also take a look at your child's bones and joints. Are the pelvis and spine straight? Are legs and feet shaped correctly? If not, now is the time to correct misalignments to prevent future problems. The doctor will also check how well your child can perform certain actions. For example, unscrewing and screwing a lid, balancing on a straight line, or putting together a simple puzzle.

Each child learns to speak at a different rate. Often the pace picks up a lot when children start going to daycare. They suddenly bring home a lot of new words, learn to let other people finish speaking and listen. Now is also the time when they start asking question after question. What is it, what is it called, why is it, how does it work? Try to respond kindly and patiently. This is a good way to support your child exploring the world joyfully. It may be that your child is not so far along linguistically. Many children between the ages of two and four don’t know many words yet and still stutter from time to time. This is normal. If you still have the impression that your child is having problems learning to speak, you should talk to your doctor about it. For example, your child may not be hearing properly. This can be clarified with a hearing test.

Ideally, your child has already had the second round of vaccinations against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. If not, they should get the second dose now at the latest, so that the vaccination protection is complete. After that, the next U-check-up is the U8, which doesn’t happen for another year when your child is between 46 and 48 months old.