The Institute of Mother and Child (IMC) is an academic and research institution, with 60 years of tradition and a proven track record in Poland and on the international arena. The IMC was founded in 1951 by the Council of Minister's resolution and has participated in solving health-related and social problems of mothers, children and adolescents since that time.

Activities of the Institute of Mother and Child include the following:

• Science and research: as a research institute and an entity which is organizationally separated in terms of legal, organisational, economic and financial aspects; it was established to conduct scientific research and development work. That work is focused on the needs of the health care system and include primarily the protection of families, maternity and women's health as well as issues related to developmental medicine.
• Services and medical treatment: this activity is inextricably linked to the science and research at the IMC and focuses on treating the most complex diseases of the developmental age.
• Opinion-giving; this activity is included in the Statutes of the Institute of Mother and Child and includes expert opinions on products for the developmental age population at the request of producers and distributors, as well as expert opinions commissioned by government offices, including the Ministry of Health or the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, as well as independent organisations.
• Educational activities and publishing: this includes post-graduate training for medical personnel and public health education. Courses for doctors are organised under a contract with the Medical Centre of Postgraduate Education. The Institute of Mother and Child is also involved in health education and health promotion in the context of its ongoing health policy programs. The IMC publishes a quarterly in Polish and English, entitled Medycyna Wieku Rozwojowego (Developmental Medicine). The magazine has received high ratings among international experts and is indexed in MEDLINE and Index Copernicus.

Health problems we deal with

Health problems that the IMC is involved in solving depend on the current needs of the society and the public health policies. We consider the following to be priority health problems that require intervention:

• congenital defects and diseases, including tumours in children and youth,
• prematurity, low birth weight and other developmental disorders,
• perinatal infection,
• accidents and injuries suffered by children and youth,
• diseases caused as a result of adverse environmental conditions and lifestyle,
• impaired psychosocial development in early childhood and adolescence.

These priorities are in line with the strategy of the World Health Organisation in the field of reproductive health and the health and development of children and young people as well as the European Union policy in the field of public health.

IMC staff

The Institute of Mother and Child employs excellent specialists with high professional and scientific qualifications, including national consultants in various fields of medicine. To meet the health needs of the modern society, the IMC cooperates with many scientific institutions and organisations in Poland and abroad.

Activities undertaken by the IMC staff:

• conducting research in the fields of health of women in the reproductive age, complications of pregnancy as well as epidemiology and etiopathogenesis of congenital diseases, diseases and developmental disorders of children and youth, their diagnosis, prevention and treatment,
• developing, coordinating and monitoring prevention programmes and health promotion programmes at the country level, in line with the achievements and expertise in the field of health protection and health promotion of women in the reproductive age, pregnant and lactating women as well as children and youth,
• providing highly specialised consultations, in line with international standards, on diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of selected defects, diseases and other disorders in children, youth and women in the reproductive age,
• conducting scientific research (including clinical experimental studies) and clinical assessments and issuing opinions and certificates on this basis,
• initiating and issuing opinions on legal acts and other documents concerning the health care system involving the aforementioned population groups,
• offering postgraduate training for doctors, nurses and midwives, and participating in undergraduate education in the field of health protection and promotion for women in the reproductive age (including pregnant and lactating women) as well as children and youth.

We believe that the activities of the Institute of Mother and Child contribute significantly to improving public health and quality of life.

The Scientific Council of the Institute of Mother and Child is a founding, initiating, advisory and consultative body of the IMC within its statutory activities and in cases related to the development of scientific and technical research staff.

The Scientific Council is entitled to take a position on all matters concerning the activities of the Institute.

According to the Statutes of the Institute of Mother and Child, the responsibilities of the Scientific Council are defined by the Act on Research Institutes of 30 April 2010 (consolidated text: Dz.U. – Official Journal of 2010, No. 96, item 618), and the rules of procedure of the Scientific Council adopted by the Scientific Council.

The Institute of Mother and Child is authorised to confer the following academic degrees:

• doctor of medical science – since 1950,
• habilitated doctor of medical science – since 1976.