Utilization of Child Health Services during the first 18 months of life: aspects of health surveillance in Swedish preschool children based on information in health records

The aim of this study was to evaluate some aspects of care given within the preventive Child Health Services (CHS) during the first 18 months of Life. A national random sample performed on child health records of 172 Swedish preschool children horn between 1982 and 1987 was analysed regarding services recorded as having been provided and used within and beyond the national programme of health surveillance. Most families had mode visits within the core programme of health surveillance to an optimal or at least sufficient extent. First-time parents visited the CHS more frequently than did more experienced parents. Procedures within the programme, such as growth monitoring, hip examination and immunizations, were documented to have been optimally performed on a majority of the children. Conversely, screening for hearing impairment and assessment of developmental milestones were performed less frequently, as were health information and postnatal parental education. To improve the quality of care, national recommendations ought to be more specific regarding both the performance and the documentation of the service.