A child's health record

Verified 01 January 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

What is the child's health record used for? It supports the monitoring of his overall health and the regular dialog between health professionals and families. It includes medical elements necessary to monitor the child's health up to the age of 18 and numerous tips for parents. He is protected by medical confidentiality and no one can consult him without the consent of the person in charge of parental authority. We're laying out the regulations for you.

This health booklet is a document that brings together all the events that concern the health of the child since birth.

He's talking in particular the following topics:

  • Family history
  • Delivery
  • Examination of the infant at birth (examples: weight, height, head circumference)
  • Examination within 8 days after birth done at the maternity facility (examples: screening for deafness and rare disorders)
  • Detailed medical examinations
  • Vaccinations
  • Dental follow-up.

The notebook also provides parents with many tips in particular on the following topics:

  • Child's welfare
  • Conditions of a healthy environment (good use of screens, education without violence, good sleep...)
  • Diet (example: Food introduction markers for children 0 to 3 years old)
  • Protection against infectious diseases.

It enables health care practitioners to know all information related to the child's health.

This is why this booklet must be presented at each consultation.

Thus, the professional can read the information it contains and put its findings and indications.

It is delivered for free by motherhood.

In addition, it can be requested from the departmental service of maternal and child protection (PMI). This applies, for example, to a child born abroad and living in France.

Who shall I contact

It shall be delivered:

  • To the parents
  • Or persons responsible for exercising parental authority
  • Or services in the care of the child.

Please note

The booklet shall be drawn up on behalf of the child.

The health record is kept by the parents or the person or services responsible for the child.

If this booklet is given to another person (e.g. a child who goes on holiday without his parents), this booklet should be put in a closed envelope and written " medical confidentiality on the envelope.

At each visit, hospitalization, examination

The diary must be presented at each consultation, hospitalization, examination (radiological, oral, etc.).

It is advisable to add the results of the examinations or reports of the child in its digital health space called My health space (shared medical record).

During vaccination

Pages 117-118 and 119-120 of health book may take the place of a vaccination certificate if the following 2 conditions are met :

  • The reference to the vaccination concerned shall be dated and signed by the healthcare professional who carried out the vaccination
  • The name and address of the health care professional shall be given.

Reminder

Some vaccinations are mandatory (unless there is a recognized medical contraindication) to enroll a child in a community (examples: nursery, school, leisure center, holiday camps...).

Traveling

It may be helpful tobring the health card of a traveling child. Abroad, the health booklet can be requested by the health professional or at the customs in case of control of the vaccines required for entry into the country.

Consultation of a child's health record is subject to the agreement of the child's parents. No one can demand that this booklet be given.

Any health professional called upon by virtue of his function to read the information entered therein shall be subject to the professional secrecy.

A professional who enters information in the health booklet shall identify himself by his stamp and signature.

The personal data entered in it are confidential.

Reminder

If this booklet is given to another person (e.g. a child who goes on holiday without his parents), this booklet should be put in a closed envelope and written " medical confidentiality on the envelope.

If the health booklet is lost, a new booklet can be requested from the departmental Maternal and Child Protection (PMI) department of the child's home.

Who shall I contact

The new health booklet should be given to the doctor who usually follows the child so that he or she can complete the missing data (vaccinations for example) from his or her own file.

It is also advisable to record the vaccinations of the child in the electronic vaccination booklet of My health space (shared medical record).

This diary represents the memory of the person's state of health since birth.

So you have to keep it for life and be able to present it to the health care practitioner if requested.

This health care practitioner collects important data and writes it into the medical record.

Who can help me?

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