Portugal is a country in southwestern Europe, home to ten and a half million people though population is shrinking due to low immigration and low birth rate, around 1.38 children per woman. Based on what I have read, Portugal is a nice place to start a family because there is a nationalized health service, Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), which covers pregnancy, birth, and childcare– and pregnant workers have protected rights, including 120 days maternity leave at 100% pay, 30 of which can be taken before the birth of the baby, with options to extend that leave (including paternity leave) at 80-83% of pay.

Part of the SNS is the SNS 24 helpline, which can be reached by phone, online, on the app, or in person 24/7. There are 1700 operators who can help people with questions or concerns, as well as whether they need to seek treatment. Last year, SNS 24 received 24,666 from women with OB-gyn related issues, but in only five months of 2024, there were 19,200. With funding from The Health Emergency and Transformation Plan, as of June 1st of 2024, they started the SNS grávida helpline specifically for pregnant women. The SNS grávida helpline is answered by nurses who, with the help of a “scientifically validated algorithm,” helps direct patients to the appropriate information or medical service, in particular, emergency rooms or hospitals equipped to help. (In a definite emergency, dialing 112 will connect people in Portugal to emergency responders, like 911 in the US and Canada.)

I was curious if there was something like this at the federal level in the United States where I live. After dodging crisis pregnancy centers masquerading as medical helplines in the search results, I found the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, through the Health Resources and Services Association. This is focused on mental health rather than physical health but it is answered by trained professionals. In my experience, most local hospitals have nurse lines, and often a specific nurse line for pregnancy related issues however, being a patient may be a requirement for receiving medical advice– and insurance often dictates where you can be a patient or how much you will be charged for using nurse lines. People living a rural areas may have to travel hours to get to a “local” hospital so having the ability to communicate with a medical professional from home would be a huge help.

What about where you live? I’m curious how new (or old) communication technology is being used to provide healthcare information and support during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Sources:

Agência Lusa. 4 June 2024. “Nova linha SNS Grávida atendeu 450 chamadas nos primeiros três dias.” (“New SNS Grávida line answered 450 calls in the first three days.”) FolhaNacional.

Direção-Geral de Saúde. (General Directorate of Health.)  31 Aug 2023. “Guia para grávidas.” (Guide for Pregnant Women.) SNS 24.  

Silva, Lara. 15 April 2022. “Guide to Having a Baby in Portugal.” Portugal.com