Maternity and child health guidance centers offer healthcare services for children and pregnant women. The services are free of charge.

You should contact a maternity center as soon as you notice that you are pregnant because it can have an influence on your maternity benefits. It is important to contact the center within a certain period.

Maternity guidance

The task of maternity guidance services is to promote the health and well-being of pregnant women, the fetus, newborn children, and the whole family expecting a baby. Their aim is to support the family member’s relationships with each other, their resources, and growth in parenting.

The maternity guidance services offer regular, periodic check-ups by the public health nurse and the doctor.

Both parents are always welcome to the maternity center, but in particular, we hope that both parents can come for an extensive health check at the maternity center.

The purpose of extensive health checks is to:

• identify together with the parents, the family’s support needs and resources
• give support to those who need it
• form an understanding of the family’s health and wellbeing.

Read more: PREGNANCY

Child health guidance 

The purpose of child health guidance services is to monitor and promote the healthy growth and development of children below school age and their families. Child health centers should also support parenting and the parents’ relationship and promote a healthy environment and lifestyle when the child is growing up and developing.

In practice, the essential task of child health centers is to carry out regular health checks of your child. Their aim is to identify, as early as possible, the signs of harmful development in children, in the family, and in their living environment, and to address any health risks.

The purpose of extensive health checks (when the child is 3 to 4 months, 15 to 18 months, and 4 years) is to:

• identify together with the parents the family’s support needs and resources
• give support to those who need it
• form an understanding of the family’s health and wellbeing.

Both parents are always welcome in the child health clinic. In particular, we hope that both parents/guardians can come for the extensive health checks.

More information: www.neuvokasperhe.fi 

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Information on maternity and child health clinic services Finnish | Swedish | English | Russian