The child health card--a cornerstone of preventive and promotive paediatrics.

When properly used, the child health card is a relatively cheap and effective measure in the promotion of health and in the early detection and prevention of disease in infants and children. It serves as a record of birth data, growth in mass, immunization, neurological development and episodes of illness; it can also facilitate advantageous family spacing. At present the card is not achieving its full potential in southern Africa. We suggest the active promotion of its benefits to the public and especially to potential mothers via school education.