Telehealth for infants and toddlers

Types of telehealth services

Finding time to get an infant or toddler to an appointment can be challenging. Parents and caregivers may have to rearrange work, coordinate transportation, and disrupt the child’s routine. There are many ways telehealth can be used to provide health care services to infants and toddlers. This includes well-child visits, urgent care, primary care, nutrition counseling, physical and occupational therapy, subspecialty care, and follow-up care.

• Well-child visits. These appointments can provide information on a child’s health, growth, and physical and cognitive development. The following well-child services can be provided using telehealth:
  • Cognitive and physical development. Providers can perform routine developmental screenings and assessments of milestones. This helps detect early signs of behavioral or developmental delays.
  • Physical growth. The provider can use a growth chart to track the child's height and weight. Caregivers can check their child’s growth using a tape measure or similar tool in their house. Scales can help track weight. Infants can be weighed in their car seat. Then the empty seat is weighed and subtracted.
  • Emotional well-being. A nurturing environment is important for infant and toddler development. Providers can use telehealth to assess the relationship between the caregiver and the child and identify useful skills or education.
  • Environment. Telehealth offers a firsthand view of the place where the child resides to identify safety risks, access to food, and other factors that impact health.
  • Caregiver support. Telehealth allows caregivers to engage in a conversation with a health care provider to answer the caregiver’s questions and provide guidance on what skills and developmental milestones to look for.
• Urgent care. Many health care systems offer urgent care services for patients of all ages. Commonly known as direct-to-consumer care, urgent care allows caregivers to get timely medical advice and treatment at any time of day. Some of the most common reasons for seeking urgent care for infants and toddlers are fever, rash, constipation or diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, refusal to eat, and cuts and scrapes.
• Primary care. Telehealth can support primary care services for infants and toddlers such as medication management, tracking symptoms, tracking vital signs, and triaging patients to determine if an in-person visit is needed.
• Nutrition. Proper nutrition is essential for healthy development. The first five years are a time of tremendous growth and change - both physically and cognitively. Telehealth may be a good option for pediatricians, lactation consultants, and dieticians or nutritionists. Providers can give advice on breastfeeding, formula choices, introduction of new foods, and feeding challenges. As children get older, providers can discuss detecting food allergies and encouraging healthy eating.
• Physical and occupational therapy. Telehealth can be used to provide services for children with developmental delays or special needs like autism spectrum disorder. Young children may be more comfortable in a home environment and caregivers appreciate the convenience, especially when frequent appointments are needed.
• Specialty care. Children with more complex health needs often require care by a pediatric subspecialist. Primary care doctors can use telehealth to consult with pediatric subspecialists to determine if the child needs a referral.
• Follow-up care. Telehealth can support follow-up care for infants and toddlers who were discharged from a hospital or recently seen in the emergency room. After surgical procedures or hospitalizations, telehealth can be used for follow-up checks, ensuring the child's recovery is on track.