Problems of legislation and law enforcement in the field of children’s health care

Introduction. The protection of children’s health is considered to be the most important among the state priorities. The aim of the study was to study the problems of legislation and legal enforcement in the field of children’s health protection to develop proposals for further improvement of its management. Materials and methods. Analysis of information in abstract databases of scientific publications and assessment of existing legislative framework related to children’s health protection in the Russian Federation. Results. The following issues were identified: lack of mechanisms for implementing the principle of priority of children’s health protection; violation of children’s rights when providing them with medical and preventive care within the framework of mandatory medical insurance and when providing paid medical services; insufficient quality of preventive medical examinations and preventive work in outpatient clinics and educational institutions. Existing standards of time for a patient to visit a pediatrician have been shown to have a negative impact on the quality of medical (including preventive) care for children. The need to create a regulatory framework for the legitimate introduction of the “early assistance” technologies and to establish a system of medical and social support for children in difficult situations had been justified. Issues of school medicine and regulation of juvenile labor require a legislative solution. Conclusion. The enhancement of existing legislation in the field of children’s health should consist not only in new legal mechanisms development and new laws adoption but also in improving the effectiveness of existing legal norms, i.e. improving law enforcement practices.