Your baby’s health record

Everything about your child’s health

Your child’s health record is their own medical database and will go with them to every doctor’s appointment during childhood up to 5 year's of age. It is divided into seven sections and covers every aspect of their health:

• All medical appointments
• Long-term illnesses and allergies and valuable basic information in case of an emergency.
• Medical check-ups from birth to 5 years, including in particular, the compulsory health checks that must be completed by a doctor within 2 weeks of the child’s birth right up to 4 years of age.
• Growth charts showing how your child’s height and weight compare with the average figures for their age.
• Admissions to hospital and any relevant information such as X-rays undertaken.
• And finally, vaccinations, recorded in a vaccination calendar that is valid as a certificate: just photocopy the pages if you need them, for example when enrolling your child in a daycare center or school.
• Throughout the booklet, you will also find numerous pieces of advice and information on a wide variety of topics including diet, sleep, safety, what to do about various symptoms (such as fever, vomiting or difficulty breathing), teething, etc. Remember to have a look even if you are not going to the doctor’s! 

A professional tool... and a personal reminder

Your child’s health record is intended primarily for healthcare professionals, to give them an instant overview of your child’s medical history. Keeping all your child’s information in one place is valuable as they will probably not always see the same doctor: between the paediatrician, the general practitioner, the dentist and sometimes hospital doctors or various specialists, they will be seen by numerous professionals who will be able to find all the essential information about them.

Make sure you always take their health record with you when you take your child for an appointment, whoever they are seeing. You should also be aware that your child’s health record is covered by medical confidentiality and you cannot be asked to show it (except for the vaccination pages) by daycare centers, schools or leisure centers.   

Finally, for you, your child’s health record is a lovely reminder of their development, which you will no doubt want to keep safe for them even when they are grown up. Take the time to look through it with your child once they are four or five years old to chat about what you remember about their birth and early years but also to gently raise their awareness of the importance of taking care of their health.   The health record is also a portable record for the child itself when he or she starts taking responsibility for their own health in adulthood.  It makes referral back for vaccination records simple and easy when you are not on hand to recall past medical history.