The Ministry of Health and Welfare, through the Health Promotion Administration, will launch the “7+2 Child Preventive Health Services” program on July 1. The number of health checkups for children under age 7 will increase from seven to nine, alongside enhanced examination and health education content. The policy focuses on monitoring key developmental stages, helping parents detect issues earlier and intervene promptly, thereby improving overall child healthcare quality.
Under the new system, the previous single checkup between 4 and 10 months will be split into two visits at 4–6 months and 6–12 months. Similarly, the checkup for ages 3 to 7 will be divided into two stages: 3–5 years and 5–7 years. This arrangement aligns monitoring more closely with actual developmental rhythms and supports early detection of potential concerns.
Upgraded child preventive healthcare services (Photo／Mama & Baby)
Checkups + Education: from “identifying problems” to “preventing risks”
Current services already include growth assessments (height, weight, head circumference), physical examinations (hearing, vision, oral health), and developmental evaluations (motor skills, language), along with one-on-one health education by physicians. Utilization rates reach 84.1% for checkups and 75.2% for health education, serving about 840,000 visits annually.
The upgraded “7+2” model emphasizes two core aspects: increasing visit frequency to strengthen monitoring of growth, nutrition, and development, and providing more precise, personalized health education based on examination results and parental needs. Healthcare professionals thus play not only a diagnostic role but also act as partners in family health decision-making.
Mama & Baby smart parenting reminder card (Photo／Mama & Baby)
Cross-disciplinary integration: sensory development and oral health at the core
The program integrates resources from multiple professional associations, including the Taiwan Pediatric Association, Ophthalmological Society, Pediatric Dentistry Association, and Speech-Language-Hearing Association, incorporating vision, eye alignment, hearing, and oral health as key focus areas.
Health education content is also upgraded to cover feeding practices, complementary food principles, vision care, oral hygiene, and accident prevention. At the same time, the system shifts from separate checkups and education to a bundled approach, where physicians provide integrated guidance based on results, ensuring more continuous and consistent care.
This article is published with authorization from Mama & Baby
