French Public Health Code
In forceAll pregnant women are entitled to medical supervision during pregnancy and after childbirth, including compulsory antenatal and postnatal check-ups carried out or prescribed by a doctor or midwife. The declaration of pregnancy may be made by a midwife. If, following the first antenatal examination, the midwife observes a pathological situation or history, she will refer the pregnant woman to a doctor.
The number and nature of the compulsory examinations and the periods during which they must be carried out are determined by regulation.
At the first prenatal examination, after information on the risks of contamination, the pregnant woman is offered a screening test for human immunodeficiency virus infection. The doctor or midwife will also suggest a cervico-uterine smear test, in accordance with the conditions laid down by order of the Minister for Health. During this examination, the doctor or midwife informs the pregnant woman of the existence of the compulsory early prenatal interview mentioned in the penultimate paragraph.
The compulsory early prenatal interview is carried out by a doctor or midwife as soon as the pregnancy has been declared. The purpose of this interview is to enable the healthcare professional to assess with the pregnant woman any support she may need during her pregnancy.
A compulsory early postnatal interview is carried out by a doctor or midwife between the fourth and eighth weeks following childbirth. The aim of this interview is to identify the first signs of postpartum depression or the risk factors that may lead to it, and to assess any support that the woman or her partner may need, as part of a comprehensive approach to postpartum prevention. A second interview may be offered, between the tenth and fourteenth weeks following childbirth, by the healthcare professional who carried out the first interview, to women who are primiparous or for whom signs of postpartum depression or risk factors leading to it have been identified.
