NEWBORN CARE
The arrival of a newborn baby into your home is an event that will change your life forever. We know it can be a happy, yet scary, time. At PHCA, we want to help you meet the needs common to newborn babies and give you hints on how to keep your baby healthy and happy. Your child is an individual from the day he/she is born. Adapt these guidelines to the individual needs of your baby. The clinicians and staff at PHCA will be happy to give you guidance and answer your questions while you are in the hospital, later by phone and during your visits to the office.
OFFICE VISITS
PHCA offices are at five locations north of Boston for your convenience. Pediatricians and Pediatric Nurse Practitioners provide primary pediatric care in our practice. Pediatric Nurse Practitioners are registered nurses that have advanced education and are certified to do check-ups, sick visits and write prescriptions for medication. We encourage you to select one or two of us as your primary providers and schedule regular visits with one of these clinicians. Urgent visits will be scheduled with available providers so that your child’s problem can be addressed promptly. If there is an ongoing problem, it is important that you request to speak with the same provider each time whenever possible. If you have an urgent problem during the hours when your primary providers are not on call, there is ALWAYS a member of our group available to help you, day or night, 365 days a year.
FIRST CHECK-UP
Your baby should be scheduled for the first office visit within a few days after discharge from the hospital, unless your physician has recommended a that your baby be seen sooner. Please call to schedule the first appointment as soon as possible.
IMMUNIZATIONS
Immunizations are very important. The first immunization, Hepatitis B vaccine, is administered before your newborn leaves hospital. Other immunizations are needed to protect against Diphtheria, Whooping cough, Tetanus, Polio, Haemophilus Influenzae (HIB), Pneumococcus, Measles, Mumps, German measles, and Chicken pox. Some of these vaccinations are started at the two-month check-up. You will receive a packet containing information on each of these vaccines at our baby’s first office visit. We ask that you review these statements and keep the packet on file for future reference. Laminated copies of these informational sheets are posted in each of our exam rooms for review each time your baby receives an immunization.
Information about new immunizations and disease control often appear in the mass media. If you have questions or concerns about new developments in pediatric care and how that might affect your child, please fell free to call PHCA. |
|
|
