The health centre is a free service for everyone with children in Norway. Your baby will have regular check-ups from birth to school age. A health nurse weighs and measures the baby, follows their development, and answers your questions. It is help and support — not surveillance.
What is the health centre for babies?
The health centre is a service provided by the local council for all children between 0 and 5 years old. The goal is simple: to ensure your baby does well, grows, and develops properly. All children in Norway get this service, no matter where in the world their family comes from. You will find a health centre in every Norwegian municipality.
A health centre is not a hospital. It is a place where you get advice, check-ups, and reassurance in your everyday life with a baby. You do not need to be sick to go there.
Pregnancy care is about the time before birth. If you were in contact with the health centre while you were pregnant, the follow-up continues after birth. You can read more about follow-up during pregnancy. After birth, the health centre takes over with a regular programme for the baby.
Home visit: the first meeting
The first meeting often happens at your home. A health nurse comes for a home visit about 7–10 days after the baby is born. A home visit means the health nurse meets the family where you live.
During the home visit, the health nurse weighs the baby and measures their head. They ask how things are going with breastfeeding, sleep, and how you are doing. You can ask all the questions you have. Nothing is too small or too silly to ask about. Feel free to take notes during the visit so you remember the advice better.
Do you want to know what to expect in the very first week with a baby? See a simple overview in the tool First week with baby.
What happens at check-ups?
The health centre programme is a national plan with 14 check-ups from birth to school age. Around 10 of them happen in the baby's first year of life, because babies develop quickly in that first year. The programme is the same across the whole country.
At the check-ups, the following happens:
- The baby is weighed and measured (weight, length, and head circumference).
- The health nurse checks development — movement, sight, hearing, and language.
- You get advice about food, sleep, breastfeeding, and safety in the home.
- The baby is offered vaccinations at the right times.
- You can talk about how the whole family is doing.
Here is what some of the age stages in the programme look like:
- 7–10 days: home visit by health nurse
- 6 weeks: check-up with a doctor and the first vaccines
- 3 and 5 months: measurement and more vaccines
- 6 and 12 months: check-up with a doctor
- 15 months: MMR vaccine against measles
- 2 and 4 years: bigger check-up of development and language
The vaccines follow the childhood vaccination programme. It is a separate, free programme that protects children against serious diseases. You can read more about childhood vaccines and when they are given.
Who do you meet at the health centre?
At the health centre, you meet several professionals. The health nurse is the one you see most often. They are a nurse with extra education in children, family, and health.
At some check-ups, the baby also meets a doctor. The doctor at the health centre is not the same as your regular GP. The GP takes care of illness and treatment, while the health centre doctor checks that the baby is growing and developing as they should.
Sometimes you also meet a physiotherapist, for example if you have questions about how the baby is moving. Everyone at the health centre has duty of confidentiality. This means they are not allowed to share what you talk about without a good reason.
You meet other parents
Some of the check-ups are group meetings. Then you meet other parents who have babies of about the same age. Together you talk about sleep, food, and everyday life, with a health nurse present.
For many people who are new to Norway, this is a good way to meet people and practise Norwegian. You are not alone with your questions — most parents wonder about the same things.
Is the health centre free?
Yes. The health centre is completely free, and the service is voluntary. You pay nothing for the check-ups, home visit, or vaccines.
Voluntary means that you decide for yourself. But most people choose to use the health centre, because it is an easy and safe way to keep track of your baby's health. If you do not get an appointment notice, you can call the health centre in your municipality yourself and ask for an appointment.
Does the health centre report to child protective services?
No — asking for help at the health centre does not mean that child protective services will be contacted. The health centre and child protective services are two completely different services. Going to a check-up is completely normal and safe.
The health nurse is there to help you, not to check up on you. You can ask about anything — sleep, breastfeeding, money, or your own health — without being afraid.
There is one rare exception. If a professional becomes seriously worried that a child is being harmed or is not receiving care, they have a duty to report it. This applies to everyone who works with children in Norway. For ordinary families who ask for advice and support, this does not happen. Using the health centre is taking good care of your baby.
How to get the most out of the health centre
It is a good idea to write down your questions before each check-up. Bring your baby's health card, and let them know in advance if you need an interpreter. You have the right to an interpreter if you do not yet speak Norwegian well. If you cannot come to an appointment, you let them know and get a new one.
On SamfunnPrep you will find simple explanations of how health and social services work in Norway. We explain words like health centre and health nurse in language that is easy to understand. This makes meeting the Norwegian system safer for the whole family.
How health and social services work is part of the citizenship test — practise for free on SamfunnPrep.
