What is the Mother and Child Protection (MCP) Card?
In short
- The MCP (Mother and Child Protection) Card is a free booklet from India's health system.
- It records your check-ups, tests and tablets during pregnancy.
- You get it in your first trimester, at your local health centre.
- Bring it to every visit, and keep it — it later tracks your baby too.
What happens
- You register with your local health centre in your first trimester and receive your MCP Card.
- Your provider fills it in at every visit: check-ups, weight, blood pressure, tests, tetanus injections and supplement tablets.
- You keep the card and bring it to every antenatal and, later, child health visit.
The details: numbers and where they differ
What the card tracks
Registration at your health centre in the first trimester; at least 3 antenatal check-ups after that, with blood pressure, blood and urine checked, and weight tracked (aiming for 9 to 11 kg gained over the pregnancy, at least 1 kg a month in the last 6 months); two tetanus toxoid (TT) injections, one when pregnancy is confirmed and a second a month later (or one booster dose if you were vaccinated within the last 3 years); and your iron-folic acid and calcium tablets.
The numbers
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum antenatal check-ups after registration (pregnant women, India (MCP Card)) | ≥3 visits | Ministry of Health & Family Welfare / Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India |
| Recommended gestational weight gain (pregnant women, India (MCP Card)) | 9–11 kg over pregnancy, ≥1 kg/month in the last 6 months | Ministry of Health & Family Welfare / Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India |
| Tetanus toxoid (TT) doses (pregnant women, India (MCP Card)) | 2 (TT1 at confirmation, TT2 one month later; 1 booster if vaccinated within the last 3 years) injections | Ministry of Health & Family Welfare / Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India |
Discuss your results with your doctor: this page reports what these sources say, not advice for your situation.
Sources
- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare / Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India, Mother and Child Protection (MCP) Card, 2018 Version, 2018. Paraphrased in our own words. © Govt of India, no reuse notice found on the card; treated as MoHFW default (cite + paraphrase).
- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare / Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India, Mother and Child Protection (MCP) Card, 2018 Version, 2018. Paraphrased in our own words. © Govt of India, no reuse notice found on the card; treated as MoHFW default (cite + paraphrase).
- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare / Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India, Mother and Child Protection (MCP) Card, 2018 Version, 2018. Paraphrased in our own words. © Govt of India, no reuse notice found on the card; treated as MoHFW default (cite + paraphrase).
Sources checked 2026-09-26. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.