Get help quickly from a doctor or phone 111 if your baby or young child shows any of the danger signs listed on this Ministry of Health page.
All kids and teenagers in New Zealand get free dental care up until their 18th birthday. The Ministry of Health has some info on how to enrol your child and what care they are eligible for.
The Ministry of Health funds free hearing checks for children. If your child has a hearing loss, finding it early is good for their language, learning and social development.
All children under 14 years old can get free doctors’ visits and cheaper or free prescriptions. To take advantage of these free services, your child needs to be enrolled at a clinic.
Watch a Ministry of Health video about three whānau with kids under five years old, and find the answers to common questions about cots and beds, food, looking after teeth, and other topics.
There are a lot of things to think about when raising healthy children. Luckily KidsHealth is here to help with accurate and reliable information about children's health for New Zealand parents, caregivers and whānau.
A list of KidsHealth articles and resources on all sorts of children’s health topics, from infant feeding, to children’s rights, to immunisation.
It’s important to enrol your child with a general practice at birth or as soon as possible after that. The Ministry of Health has information about finding a GP, and advice for first health checks and ongoing care.
You and your child will need lots of help and support in the first few years. Find out about health services for your child and your child's eligibility for publicly funded health and disability services on the Ministry of Health website.
Looking after your child’s baby teeth can help ensure their adult teeth come through healthy and strong. The Ministry of Health has five steps to care for baby teeth.
The evidence is clear: Immunisation is safe, and protects your child from some serious diseases and helps to stop those diseases spreading. Immunisations are also free for all children in New Zealand. The Ministry of Health has more information about immunisation.
Well Child Tamariki Ora is a free programme providing a series of free health visits and support for families with children up to 5 years old. Find out more from the Ministry of Health about what the visits cover and when they should happen.
Serious allergies can threaten your child’s life. You can help prepare by informing yourself about the risks and treatments, and learning about medic alert bracelets.
Children with asthma can usually do the same things their friends do, as long as you manage the condition properly. Find out about asthma tests, living with asthma, and where to find help.
Bullying happens in all age groups. If your child is being bullied, or has been accused of bullying other children, this information may help.
There are people and organisations that can help you. If you, or a child you know, needs help to cope with a family affected by mental illness or addiction, you can contact these organisations, or ask your GP to refer you.
Yes. Physical activity is an essential part of life for all children and young people. Try some of these suggestions to get physical activity into your children's daily routines.
Childhood injuries are common. Thankfully most of these are minor. But every year in New Zealand children are badly injured or die in accidents. Learn what you can do to help prevent your children getting injured.
If your child's sleep is disturbed at night, it makes it harder for them to function during the day. It also raises the risk of problems with behaviour and learning. Check out these tools to help you learn about children’s rest needs and help them sleep.
Children with parents who smoke are much more likely to get sick, be admitted to hospital, and start smoking when they are older. Learn about how your smoking habits affect your children, and how you can protect them from harm.
Page last updated: 12 April 2019
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