But criticism remains: the new parent-child passport should bring more security

The mother-child passport becomes an electronic parent-child passport. In any case, the federal government announced this decision on November 16. In fact, a review of the pension program was long overdue. The Austrian Medical Association has long complained that fees for the studies have not been increased since 1994 and threatened to withdraw from the project. Negotiations are still ongoing. In addition, the range was no longer up-to-date with the latest medical developments.

These services are also offered:

• Psychosocial support from the beginning of pregnancy
• A second voluntary midwife consultation before childbirth
• An additional hearing screening for newborns
• The possibility of an additional echo
• Additional laboratory tests according to professional recommendations
• Nutrition and health counseling for pregnant women, nursing mothers or young parents in a pilot project
• parent guidance

According to the federal government, the goal is to fully implement the revised, electronic version of the previous mother-child passport by mid-2026. Digitization will start in the middle of next year and should reach about 90 percent of those affected. Ten million euros will be made available for this alone.

For Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) “a big hit”: “The mother-child card is an essential part of the health of mothers and children in Austria. We have now further developed this important tool in a contemporary form. This provides important improvements for the newborns and their parents.” It is an exemplary provision that should not be seen as a job to get child benefits, but to protect children.

However, the chairman of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) Andreas Huss criticizes the fact that dental care is still lacking in this program, even though Austria has not reached the international targets for caries status: 45 percent of six-year-olds already suffer from this dental disease. The opposition lacks a concrete timetable for implementation and a detailed budget.

‘The passport should not stop at the age of six’
Modernization is gaining momentum. We asked a pediatrician what he thinks of the upcoming innovations.

“crown”: Director Reinhold Kerbl, how satisfied are you with the new passport design?
Reinhold Kerbl: The current parent-child passport is not yet available. But in principle, important innovations are included. For example, that psychosocial aspects are included. In times like these, that is more valuable than ever. Our problems in this regard are enormous – and underrepresented in previous studies. This begins during pregnancy and continues into childhood. It’s best to ask simple, to-the-point questions at a doctor’s appointment. Most importantly: Do you need help or support?

Should there be more advice on a healthy lifestyle in the future?
The addition of nutritional and health advice is an important aspect. More and more children are overweight, so parents must be made aware of healthy eating and exercise from an early age.

Will digitization finally continue?
I was in favor of that ten years ago! An electronic parent-child passport is certainly useful and modern. That’s what the tool is good for.

What are you missing in the current design?
In short, I have long demanded that the passport be valid for more than 6 years. Many problems only start at this age, such as fear of school, bullying, obesity, problematic media use or increased nearsightedness in school-aged children. That should be adapted to today. In 1974 such difficulties were not yet known. The exams at school are not enough, in reality they are only a few minutes a year.

Doctors are now demanding more money for the examinations?
I am sorry that the discussion is now limited to the fees. That is of course important, because they have not been increased since 1994. But it is at least as necessary to take care of the specific content of the passport. There is still time for adjustments and requests to the Minister of Health.