Minister Hrstić has prescribed new content and forms for th…

The new Regulation on the Content and Form of the Midwifery Record was published in the Official Gazette (Narodne novine) number 115/2026 on October 9, 2026, under official mark no. 1375. The Regulation was adopted by the Minister of Health Asst. Prof. Dr. Sci. Irena Hrstić, MD, based on Article 17, paragraph 3 of the Midwifery Act (“Official Gazette”, no. 120/08 and 145/10) and upon the proposal of the Croatian Chamber of Midwives. The act enters into force on the eighth day from the date of publication, and healthcare institutions are obliged to align their documentation within 12 months.

Legal Basis and Background

The Regulation was signed in Zagreb on September 21, 2026, under mark Class: 011-02/25-02/07 and Registry No: 534-06-1-1/4-26-8. It determines the content and form of the midwifery record, thereby replacing the previous Regulation on the Content and Form of the Midwifery Record (“Official Gazette”, number 67/23), which ceases to be valid on the day the new act enters into force.

It is explicitly prescribed that terms used in the Regulation that have a gender meaning apply equally to the male and female gender. The midwifery record is maintained in written or electronic form, and if maintained electronically, it must obligatorily contain all data prescribed by the provisions of this Regulation.

Forms 1 to 7.5.

The midwifery record consists of forms printed in Annexes 1 – 7.5., which are an integral part of the Regulation. There are a total of 21 forms, including:

Annex 1. – General instructions
Annex 2. – Midwifery record – general data
Annex 3. – Midwifery record – delivery room
Annex 3.1. – Midwifery record – 1st stage of labor
Annex 3.2. – Record of daily prenatal monitoring
Annex 3.3. – Record of performed midwifery procedures
Annex 3.4. – Midwifery record – delivery
Annex 3.5. – Partogram
Annex 3.6. – Midwifery record – 3rd / 4th stage of labor
Annex 4. – Newborn list
Annex 4.1. – Midwifery record – newborn
Annex 4.2. – Daily monitoring of the newborn
Annex 4.3. – Discharge summary – newborn
Annex 5. – Daily postpartum observations – maternity ward
Annex 6. – Discharge summary – maternity ward
Annex 7. – Additional monitoring lists
Annex 7.1. – Patient categorization
Annex 7.2. – Summary of continuous monitoring
Annex 7.3. – Fluid intake and output
Annex 7.4. – Daily midwifery care plan
Annex 7.5. – Ladders and scales

Applicability

The midwifery record in a healthcare institution in the field of obstetrics covers the delivery room, pregnancy pathology, maternity ward, and neonatal department. Thus, the prescribed forms directly concern maternity hospitals and related departments in all healthcare institutions performing these activities.

Deadlines and Obligations

The Regulation introduces two clear deadlines. The Croatian Chamber of Midwives is obliged to develop and publish instructions for the application of the Midwifery List from Article 3 of the Regulation on its website within 30 days from the date the Regulation enters into force. Healthcare institutions are obliged to align their documentation in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation no later than 12 months from the date it enters into force.

The Regulation enters into force on the eighth day following its publication in “Narodne novine”, which means it applies from October 17, 2026.

Significance

The new regulation unifies and modernizes the records of midwifery care from prenatal monitoring to discharge summaries for newborns and postpartum women, including the partogram, patient categorization, and scales. For maternity hospitals and postpartum wards, this means an obligation to adapt written and electronic forms within the specified deadline, while the Croatian Chamber of Midwives must provide practical application instructions within one month. The alignment of documentation directly affects the daily work of midwives and the uniformity of data on births and newborns across the entire country.

Source: Narodne novine, no. 115/2026, Zagreb, October 9, 2026. – Regulation on the content and form of the midwifery list, no. 1375, Class: 011-02/25-02/07, Registry number: 534-06-1-1/4-26-8, signed by the Minister of Health Asst. Prof. Dr. Sci. Irena Hrstić, MD.