While You Were Sleeping

May 29, 2012

Carnet de Santé

The “Health Notebook” is delivered for free by the French government to every baby born in France, and every French baby born abroad (well, their parents, until they can take care of it themselves). It is an essential document we take to each medical visit and hospitalisation, and in which everything is recorded carefully by the doctors and nurses who care for us.

It also serves as an official document, required for registration to daycare, preschool, kindergarten, and school: in France, by law, every single child must be vaccinated against diptheria, polio and tetanus. Failure to provide proof of immunization is illegal.

Inspired by my militant husband and SuperNurse Ms. Holshue over here, I’ve decided to post photos of my own Carnet de Santé, delivered by the French consulate in Abu Dhabi upon my birth: specifically, the vaccination pages. This, of course, includes every shot and booster demanded of me by the U.S. government at each of my requests for legal residence (there were two: one in 2000, another one in 2010).*

When I showed up at the American Embassy’s doctor’s office in London two years ago, I sheepishly handed my notebook to the receptionist, apologising for the fact that I hadn’t “really stayed on top of it for the past few years.” Moments later, after she flipped through it, the nurse deadpanned: “You can’t be serious. This is the best-kept record I’ve ever seen.”

Since 1980, its design has been updated. It is now entirely colour-coded, with new, multiple pages of advice to parents, including which foods to add to the child’s diet as she grows. There is a section on allergies. There are gender-specific height and weight curves. There are quick forms for parents to fill before each visit to the paediatrician in order to prepare for questions that may be asked. There are pages for each medical check-up, from birth to adolescence.

Between the ages of 10 and 13, the notebook adopts a new tone, addressing the child directly with the informal “tu.” This is to encourage her to take control of her own health. Between the ages of 14 and 18, the Carnet has some advice on contraception and protection against sexually transmitted illnesses. It also urges her to think before picking up a cigarette, and gives her a toll-free telephone number in case she needs help or just someone to talk to. When she reaches the age of 18, the tone changes again: the now-adult is addressed with the formal “vous.”

Our children will be both French and American, so they will have their own. Unfortunately for kids of other nationalities, this kind of document is very hard to come by. Here’s an idea: to all designers with toddlers, why not create one for each of them? You could even commercialise it…

Lastly, for their sake and that of others: please vaccinate your babies.
Please vaccinate your babies.
Please vaccinate your babies.

— From SF.

7:54pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z9DOYyMN0N60
(View comments)

(Notes: 18)

Filed under: vaccination