Santé publique France works alongside various stakeholders in the fields of prevention, perinatal care, and early childhood. The agency provides professionals with methodological resources and surveillance data to help them develop health promotion initiatives and parenting support programs. It also offers scientifically validated informational materials on health-protective behaviors to adopt before, during, and after pregnancy. Professionals can use these materials as a basis for discussions with families.

Resources for developing and facilitating parenting support and health education initiatives

Documentary resources

• See La Santé en action No. 466 - May 2024 - Supporting the Development of Early Parent-Child Bonds. This issue of La Santé en action shares the latest scientific findings, particularly from the fields of psychology and neuroscience. It sheds light on interventions that support parents in building warm, stimulating interactions that meet the fundamental needs of young children.

• See La Santé en action No. 437 - September 2016 - Supporting Early Childhood Development. The aim of this issue of La Santé en action is to provide professionals with insights into the knowledge and conditions necessary for child development. In particular, it focuses on addressing socio-environmental determinants with a view to prevention and health promotion. About twenty experts contributed to this issue.

• In 2014, Santé publique France published the bookPromoting Health from Early Childhood: Supporting Parenting. It is intended for early childhood professionals (in the health, social, or education sectors) who wish to undertake initiatives combining health promotion and parenting support. It offers insights into the societal context and its evolution, reviews the scientific literature, and presents initiatives, professional practices, an intervention methodology, and practical tools. The chosen approach is based on the socio-ecological model and encourages the development of intersectoral projects best suited to reducing social health inequalities starting in early childhood.

Support for Promising Initiatives

For many years, Santé publique France has provided methodological and financial support for the evaluation or development of parenting support initiatives. See Panjo and the project to promote the mental well-being of young children, led by the Atelier Santé Ville in Aubervilliers and the Aubervilliers municipal health and hygiene service.

Resources for information and discussion on health-protective behaviors

The 1000 First Days website

1000-premiers-jours.fr provides parents and expectant parents with the tools to create an environment conducive to their child’s development. The website answers questions that concern parents of children up to two years old—even before pregnancy begins—on a wide range of topics: nutrition, breastfeeding, physical and chemical environments, emotional relationships, parental well-being, support, and child development…

To ensure everyone can access information in their own way, the content on the site is presented in various formats: articles, videos, testimonials, Q&As, as well as an engaging and interactive tool that provides practical advice as users navigate through different areas of the home.

Because 1000-premiers-jours.fr is the go-to website for everything from pregnancy to age two, all content on the site is based on the most recent scientifically validated data and has also been co-developed with institutional partners and professionals.

To promote the 1000-premiers-jours.fr website, professionals can download and order promotional materials:

"Becoming parents also means asking questions" poster

"1000-premiers-jours.fr" bookmark

Alcohol

The "Zero Alcohol During Pregnancy" brochure answers the most common questions: "Does alcohol pass into the baby’s bloodstream?", "Is there a safe amount of alcohol for the fetus?"… and directs readers to healthcare professionals or the Alcool Info Service remote assistance program for more information. To learn more about Santé publique France’s “Zero Alcohol During Pregnancy” campaign, see the press release.

Tobacco

The “Smoke-Free Pregnancy” brochure specifically addresses the impact of tobacco on fertility and the fetus, lists which tobacco dependence treatments are approved during pregnancy, outlines the risks for a pregnant woman exposed to secondhand smoke, and discusses whether breastfeeding is recommended for mothers who smoke, among other topics. The brochure also details the services offered by Tabac Info Service, including its “Pregnancy Without Tobacco” section.

Nutrition

The pregnancy nutrition guide provides expectant mothers with scientifically validated information from healthcare professionals and answers to their questions (nutritional needs, food choices and storage, cravings, nausea, weight, tobacco, vitamins, physical activity, allergies, breastfeeding, etc.).

The breastfeeding guide contains simple, illustrated information, answers to frequently asked questions, advice and practical tips, as well as resources and useful contacts to support you in continuing to breastfeed day by day.

The brochure Step by Step: Your Child Eats Like a Big Kid provides all the useful information on feeding your toddler: What foods does my child need? In what quantities? When can I start varying their meals?

Vaccination

Santé publique France publishes vaccination coverage data in France and launched vaccination-info-service.fr in April 2017, the go-to website for the general public, providing reliable information on vaccination. The agency also publishes numerous documents for families to encourage them to get vaccinated and keep their vaccinations up to date, as well as for healthcare professionals to provide them with arguments in favor of vaccination and tools such as the vaccination schedule, available as a disc, poster, or postcard.

The Vaccination-info-service website features a section dedicated to healthcare professionals.

The brochure Understanding Vaccination and the leaflet Measles, Mumps, Rubella: 5 Good Reasons to Get Vaccinated are examples of documents for the general public.

For further information

Additional informational materials for family members are available regarding the prevention of household accidents, the prevention of complications from diarrhea or bronchiolitis, infant sleep, and more. To access them, visit the page Health Advice for (Expectant) Parents and Their Young Children.

Epidemiological surveillance data on perinatal health from Santé publique France: the report on maternal and child health presents and describes all the indicators used and studies conducted by Santé publique France.