Expansion desired

“Milestone”: 50 years of the parent-child pass

Hardly any other country in Europe can offer similarly good preventive care for mother and child.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com – Olga Yastremska, New Africa, Africa Studio)

The parent-child pass (formerly the mother-child pass) has been around for 50 years. From the point of view of the Medical Association, this is a reason to celebrate, as the pass for preventive healthcare for pregnant women and infants is "a milestone in medical history", as Medical Association President Johannes Steinhart emphasized on Monday. Nevertheless, the doctors would like to see it expanded.

The main aim when the yellow mother-child booklet was introduced in 1974 was to reduce infant and maternal mortality. This goal was quickly achieved: just five years after its introduction, infant mortality in Austria fell by around 40 percent, as Steinhart emphasizes. This trend continued: in 2008 the infant mortality rate was 3.7 per thousand, today it is 2.4 per thousand.

The mother-child pass has also brought "sensational" successes in terms of maternal mortality, as Thomas Fiedler, chairman of the specialist gynecology group, explained. Before the introduction of the mother-child pass, 36 women died in childbirth every year; today there are 2.3 cases per year. According to Fiedler, the free program is successful because it is almost completely accepted. The final impetus is the financial incentive system, as the examinations prescribed in the mother-child pass are mandatory in order to receive the childcare allowance in full.

Hardly any other country in Europe can offer such good preventive care for mother and child.

Kurienobmann der niedergelassenen Ärzte, Edgar Wutscher

Austria at the forefront of preventive medicine
"Hardly any other country in Europe can offer similarly good preventive care for mother and child," said Edgar Wutscher, Chairman of the Curia of General Practitioners. This puts Austria at the forefront of preventive medicine in Europe.

Gap between 5 and 18 years
However, the doctors see a gap in preventive care after the age of five, when the parent-child pass ends. The regular screening program only starts from the age of 18. "A lot happens between the ages of 5 and 18," says Bernhard Jochum, Chairman of the Pediatrics Section. Regular examinations can help to detect orthopaedic problems, such as scoliosis of the spine or misalignment of the feet, at an early stage. In view of the increasing problem of obesity, the Medical Association also believes that nutritional advice for children would be useful.

The examinations could be combined with a review of vaccination status in order to close existing vaccination gaps, said Jochum, but at the same time emphasized that additional examinations would be difficult to implement due to the current lack of staff in paediatric practices. With regard to additional examinations during pregnancy, such as organ screening, the Medical Association also points to the question of feasibility within existing capacities and financial viability.

Passport already digitized, additional services to come
The mother-child pass was introduced in 1974 under the then Minister of Health, Ingrid Leodolter. The parent-child pass has been digitalized since January of this year. At the same time, the scope of services will be expanded by 2025 to include additional services during pregnancy and for newborns; for example, the current voluntary parent counseling service has already been launched.