Mexico Advances Early Childhood Protocol for Preventive Care

Mexico’s Ministry of Health will offer six training courses for primary care physicians on the First 1,000 Days of Life Protocol, part of the National Medical Care Protocols (PRONAM), due to its role in improving public health through preventive care.

The protocol covers the period from the beginning of pregnancy through a child’s second year of life, 270 days of gestation and 730 postnatal days. It includes guidelines on maternal and child nutrition, physical activity, maternal mental health, vaccination schedules, health screenings, and child neurological development. The objective is to establish health-promoting habits during this critical developmental window.

One key component is the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life. says Patricia Clark, Minister, General Health Council, says that this practice, which offers both immunological and nutritional benefits, has been declining among Mexican mothers and must be reinforced through national strategies.

The protocol also incorporates tools like the Escala de Desarrollo Infantil (EDI), validated by the Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, which evaluates neurological and developmental progress in infants. Additional recommendations address maternal supplementation with folic acid, iron, and multivitamins, as well as vaccination regimens for both mothers and infants.

Clark says that one of the main challenges is the nationwide dissemination and implementation of these protocols, especially in rural and underserved communities. To address this, authorities, in collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), will offer six asynchronous training courses for primary care physicians, to be made available through digital platforms of national health institutions.

Each protocol will also be accompanied by measurable indicators tracked through the electronic clinical record system. This initiative is being coordinated with the Carlos Slim Foundation, which operates 2,322 care centers, many of them within the IMSS-Bienestar system.

The PRONAM initiative was developed through a joint effort by specialists from across Mexico’s healthcare institutions. According to Clark, it represents a new medical care model focused on prevention and long-term well-being.

PRONAMs are based on both national and international scientific evidence and are designed to support primary care providers by standardizing clinical procedures, says Clark. These protocols aim to address conditions responsible for 80% of the disease burden in Mexico.