Infant health care

An infant refers to a very small child typically under one year old, during the stage when breastfeeding is the primary source of nutrition.

In Croatia, all children—regardless of their parents' or guardians' legal status (including asylum seekers, individuals under subsidiary or temporary protection, and applicants for international protection)—are entitled to full healthcare services, just like Croatian-born children.

Infant healthcare services in Croatia include:

childbirth in maternity hospitals
postnatal care provided by a community nurse after discharge
primary paediatric care (usually in a community health centre) - routine preventive check-ups, vaccinations, and medical treatment in case of illness

Care in maternity hospitals

In Croatia, most children are born in maternity hospitals. Outside of Zagreb, which has multiple facilities, each major city typically has one maternity hospital.

Expectant mothers can choose where they wish to give birth, but most opt for the hospital closest to their home.

All maternity hospitals in Croatia follow a baby-friendly approach. This means that if both you and your baby are well after birth, you will experience skin-to-skin contact within the first hour (the golden hour). Your baby will stay with you throughout your hospital stay, and the staff will provide guidance on establishing breastfeeding.

The usual stay in the maternity ward is 2–3 days for a vaginal birth and longer if a C-section was performed. During this time, a paediatrician will examine your baby, it will receive a vitamin K injection after the golden hour, and before discharge, your baby will receive the first vaccinations, following the national vaccination calendar.

If your newborn requires specialized care, they will be placed in the neonatology department, where they will receive the necessary medical attention. Depending on the hospital’s policies, available space, and the expected duration of treatment, you may be allowed to stay with your child throughout their care.

Community nursing care

Community nursing care is a preventive, health-social, and educational service provided within families and communities through active participation and cooperation with users. Its primary goal is to promote and maintain the health of individuals, families, and the community.

What makes this type of care unique is that community nurses visit beneficiaries in their homes, ensuring that those in need receive support directly in their living environment. A significant part of their work involves caring for newborns and mothers, including:

monitoring maternal recovery and infant development
assisting with establishing breastfeeding
educating non-breastfeeding mothers on proper formula feeding
providing advice on hygiene, umbilical cord care, and everyday challenges with caring for a newborn.

Community nursing can be arranged by a request from health professionals, family members, neighbours, friends, or the beneficiary herself. For more information about community nursing, click here.

Primary paediatrician

A primary paediatrician is a doctor who provides medical care for children from birth until they start school. In the Croatian healthcare system, you have the right to choose a paediatrician during pregnancy or immediately after birth.

While parents have the right to select a paediatrician for their child, many cities in Croatia face a shortage of paediatricians compared to the number of children. As a result, some paediatricians may already have a full patient list and may not accept new patients. If this happens, you can ask your local community health centre to find paediatricians accepting new patients or use the online search engine for available primary care providers.

Once you have registered your child in the Birth Registry, you should enrol them with a paediatrician and schedule their first healthy-infant check-up, which takes place when the child is one month old. During this first visit, if everything is in order, the child will receive their first vaccination and the doctor will schedule future check-ups and vaccinations according to Croatia’s vaccination calendar. Your child will remain under the care of a paediatrician until they enrol in elementary school.