Local health boards are to revise the list of often personal questions they ask parents about their children because many are considered ‘unwanted interference’, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday.

Parents will no longer be asked about their income, psychiatric well-being or how often their children clean their teeth following numerous complaints, the paper states.

In addition, questions to 13 year old teenagers about having suicidal thoughts or about exposing intimate parts of their bodies to webcams will also go.

Local councils are required by law to carry out so-called ‘preventative health checks’ on children. This happens at the age of 5, 11 and around 13.

Prevention

Parents and children are asked to fill in a questionnaire and are then interviewed by a nurse. The aim is to identify potential problems and nip them in the bud.

However, there has been no research into how effective the programme is and councils are free to develop their own questions. Some even ask young teenagers about their sexuality.

Many parents are also unaware that the results of the questioning are digitalised and kept until the child reaches the age of 34.

Research by parents’ group Ouders Online showed that more than half of parents object to the way the information is kept as well as the line of questioning.

Officials have now agreed to reduce the level of probing and standardise the approach, the Volkskrant says. Some councils will also ask parents if they wish to take part. At the moment, participation is compulsory without written objections.