Accompanying a child to the doctor

When you arrive at a doctor’s appointment or procedure with a child or young person

Book an appointment with a specialist of your choice. You can learn more about our pediatricians on the page about our doctors.
Please make a separate appointment for each child, so that the doctor has sufficient time for the necessary examinations and treatments. It is a good idea to book several appointment slots in a row. By booking appointments for several family members at the same time, you spend less on administrative fees.
When booking, please check that your own information as a guardian is up-to-date.
Please remember to bring the child’s Kela card and information about any medication that the child uses or allergies that he or she may have. In the child is very young, you can also bring the child health clinic card.

Telling the child about the doctor

If you are bringing a child to a doctor’s appointment, we recommend that you discuss the appointment with the child in advance.

A parent accompanying a child

We recommend that children and teenagers under 18 are accompanied by a parent or support person during the appointment. Apart from supporting the patient, the parent or support person may also need to know about any necessary further treatments. However, the visit can be arranged so that the child or teenager goes go the appointment, laboratory or procedure by themselves, but is able to reach the parent or support person if necessary.

The guardians of a child have the right to receive information about the child’s health, but they must also respect the child’s personal integrity. Underaged children who are able to make decisions on their own treatment have the right to forbid that information be given to the guardians (Act on the Status and Rights of Patients 17.8.1992/785 (in finnish)).