Family life and bringing up children can be rewarding, but it can also be challenging. Your child’s early years are important and influence their development and future achievements.
Health visitors are nurses or midwives who promote healthy lifestyles and prevent illness. They support families from pregnancy until a child’s fifth birthday. They help you adjust to parenthood and offer advice and reassurance to support your child’s health, wellbeing and development.
Health visiting is a free service. Each family has a named health visitor, although you may sometimes see another team member. Health visitors may work with other professionals and offer extra support if your family needs it.
How Health Visitors can help
Health visitors can support you to make healthy choices for yourself and your family. They work in your local area and may visit you at home or see you in a clinic.
They use the Personal Child Health Record, known as the Red Book. Parents receive it at birth. It includes information on immunisations, developmental checks and general child health. Any health professional involved in your child’s care can record information in it.
Health visitors can help with:
- infant feeding and breastfeeding advice
- child development
- immunisations
- healthy weight and physical activity
- emotional health and wellbeing
- parenting and local support groups
- behaviour
- sleep
They can also signpost you to advice on:
- safeguarding children
- access to education and employment
- smoking, drug and alcohol misuse
- access to housing
- sexual health and contraception
