Healthcare services for children in Sweden

Zusammenfassung

Sweden has a decentralized healthcare system run by 20 county councils and regions. In more than 1000 primary healthcare centres children are treated mainly by district nurses and general practitioners. Paediatric medical care is mostly offered at paediatric clinics and regional or university hospitals by approximately 1500 paediatricians. The main person offering preventive healthcare to children is a district nurse or a paediatric nurse. All (99 percent) children 0–5 years old attend the child healthcare programme including developmental assessment, vaccinations, safety prevention, lifestyle changes concerning eating habits, physical activity, parental smoking and drinking and prevention of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).Vaccination coverage is above 96 percent, less than six percent of infants are exposed to tobacco smoke by their mothers, and overweight and obesity in four-year-olds have decreased in the Stockholm County. SIDS incidence has fallen dramatically since 1992 to 0,13 per 1000 live births.