Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to raise awareness among parents of the six-week postnatal check.

All pregnant women are informed about the mandated six week post-natal check by health visitors at their ante-natal visit (around 28 weeks of pregnancy) and at the post-birth review by the health visitor (at 10-14 days following delivery). At this time there is also a general practitioner check for both mother and baby.

Public Health England’s Start4Life Information Service for Parents provides help and advice to encourage new and expectant parents to develop behaviours that support a healthy pregnancy and healthy start for children, including the maintenance of parental health.

This subscription email and text service sends an email to all new subscribed mothers when their baby is five weeks old to advise them that their six week post natal check is due. The email includes a link to further online content – text and video - explaining what the check will cover.