Pregnancy: Medical check-ups

Verified 01 January 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Neonatal screening for sickle cell disease

Published on 1 January 2023

Sickle cell disease is a condition that affects the hemoglobin of red blood cells.

Law of 23 December 2022 on financing social security for 2023 provides that the State may authorize a systematic and compulsory neonatal screening for sickle cell disease. This authorization will be carried out on an experimental basis and for a period of 3 years in no more than 3 regions.

A decree is expected on this.

In the meantime, the information on this page is up to date.

During your pregnancy, you must have 7 medical visits with your doctor or midwife and have mandatory medical examinations. Declaration of pregnancy must be made after 1er examination. These examinations are covered by the Health Insurance.

The 1re consultation with your doctor or midwife should take place before the end of 3e months of pregnancy.

Statement

Using your Vital Card, the doctor or midwife will complete your pregnancy declaration online. He/she transmits it directly to your health insurance fund and to your family allowance fund (Caf) or to the agricultural social insurance fund (MSA).

FYI  

after pregnancy is declared, a doctor or midwife conducts a mandatory early prenatal interview. The purpose of this interview is to enable the health-care professional to assess, with the pregnant woman, her possible needs in terms of support during pregnancy.

At the end of this visit, the doctor or midwife will give you the document First prenatal examination which will be used to declare your pregnancy.

  • You will need to send the 1er and 2e flaps (blue) to your CAC (or to the AMM if you depend on the farm plan).
  • On the 3rde flap (rose) must be sent to your health insurance fund.

These documents will have to reach these 2 organizations before the end of the 14 weeks of your pregnancy.

This statement may allow you to benefit from the birth grant if you meet the resource requirements.

Who shall I contact

Requirements for medical examinations

During this visit, the doctor or midwife does a thorough physical examination and does the following:

  • Determination of blood type and rhesus (if 1re pregnancy)
  • Check for certain diseases (rubella, hepatitis B, toxoplasmosis, syphilis...)
  • 1re ultrasound examination date stamp allowing precise dating of the onset of pregnancy by measuring the embryo and determining the number of embryos
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing
  • Cervix smear, if you're not up to date

The seconde consultation will take place on 4e months of pregnancy.

It is also from this month that you can start your 1re childbirth and parenting preparation session. This session usually takes the form of an information interview. The following sessions will be scheduled during the 7the months of pregnancy.

If you are not immune to toxoplasmosis, the toxoplasmic serology is repeated every month from this 2e examination.

The 3e consultation should take place on 5e months of pregnancy.

It is during this month that a 2e ultrasonography, called morphologicalshall be carried out in order to:

  • check your baby's proper training
  • and know your gender, if you choose.

The 4e consultation will take place on 6e months of pregnancy.

The subsequent examinations will be carried out:

  • HBs antigen screening
  • Blood count
  • Checking for irregular antibodies, if you have Rh-negative blood or have been transfused

The 5the consultation will take place on 7e months of pregnancy.

From this month onwards, you will benefit from 7 childbirth and parenthood preparation sessions.

These sessions can be conducted by your doctor or midwife and can take the form of individual or group lessons.

The 6e consultation will take place on 8e months of pregnancy.

It is during this month that a 3e Ultrasonography should be performed for:

  • specify the location of the placenta and the position of your baby in the womb
  • and to check its development.

During this 8e Months, you will need to have a pre-anesthetic consultation. This test is mandatory, even if you want to give birth without an epidural.

One 2e blood typing will be done during this or the next test.

If you have negative Rh or if you have been transfused, the examination for irregular antibodies is repeated.

The 7e and the last consultation will take place on the 9the months of pregnancy.

A second blood type determination will be made, if not done at 6e examination.

If you have negative Rh or if you have been transfused, the examination for irregular antibodies is repeated.

Newborn screening

Newborn screening (3 days) seeks 6 diseases in children and also aims to to screen for deafness permanent.

Desired diseases are rare, but they can be serious if not managed within the first few days of the child's life.

This screening is open for free for all newborns.

Parental consent is sought.

FYI  

Sampling is most often done in the maternity ward no sooner than 48 hours after birth.

A postnatal interview

One postnatal interview mandatory early is performed by a doctor or midwife between the 4e and 8e weeks after delivery.

The objectives of the interview are to:

  • Identify early signs of postpartum depression or risk factors for it
  • To assess the possible needs of the woman or spouse in terms of support

A second interview may be offered, between the 10e and 14e weeks after delivery, to women who are in any of the following situations:

  • Women who have given birth for 1era time
  • Women who have been found to have signs of postpartum depression or risk factors for it
A postnatal examination

One postnatal examination must be carried out within 8 weeks after delivery.