WHO recommendations on home-based records for maternal, newborn and child health

Overview

A home-based record is a health document used to record the history of health services received by an individual. It is kept in the household, in either paper or electronic format, by the individual or their caregiver and is intended to be integrated into the health information system and complement records maintained by health facilities.

They range from antenatal notes or vaccination-only cards, progressing to more expanded vaccination-plus cards, child health books or integrated maternal and child health books, which often include health education messages. For simplicity, the term “home-based record” is used throughout this document.

The use of some form of home-based record is widespread globally. They vary greatly across countries and regions, in terms of their design and the information they document. Ownership is near universal in some countries, but very patchy in others. While home-based records have been widely implemented for decades, the evidence of the benefits and harms has not been systematically reviewed and summarized.

This guideline seeks to address this gap by reviewing the evidence of the effects of home-based records on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) outcomes and health service delivery outcomes.