Home Visits Help Babies Get a Healthy Start

When the euphoria of bringing a new life into the world wears off, the hard work begins. Anxious mothers of newborns worry about everything from proper weight gain to sleep patterns to jaundice. Visiting Nurse Association of Houston (VNA) and Methodist Health Center-Sugar Land have created the Well Mom/Baby Program to give apprehensive moms a little peace of mind.

One to two weeks after the baby is born, a VNA registered nurse contacts the mother to set up a home visit where the nurse performs an assessment of the mother and baby and addresses any questions or concerns.

The baby is checked for signs of infection and conditions, such as jaundice, and is weighed and measured to gauge the child's growth and feeding patterns. In addition, the nurse discusses the mother's health and well being. If any potential problems are discovered, the nurse reports them to the physician for additional follow-up.

Mother Lynn Belgen was surprised when nurse Lisa Martinez contacted her to set up the home visit for her and baby daughter Jill. "What a great service," says Belgen. "It's an extra benefit I wasn't expecting. The follow-up really meant a lot."

The service is free to all mothers who deliver at the Sugar Land health center.

Although this was Belgen's second child, she admits she was concerned. "I guess I'm just an anxious parent," she says. "I just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything wrong."

On the visit to the Belgen home Martinez discussed general health concerns and issues including breastfeeding. Once she completed her visit with the mother, she performed a variety of tasks including checking Jill's skin, examining the umbilical cord and checking the baby's mouth for any signs of thrush, an infection in the mouth caused by fungus.

Next she weighed and measured the baby and pronounced that Jill was a healthy, growing little girl. Martinez says weighing and measuring the baby are every mother's favorite part of the visit because it reassures them that the baby is progressing well.

Martinez visits all moms who have given birth at Methodist Health Center Sugar Land, not just first-time mothers. Of the three to four moms she visits each weekday since the program began last December, approximately 40 percent are first-time moms. She says that even though some of the moms have given birth before, they need reassurance, too.

"It's a great moment to see mother and child, right at the beginning of the baby's life," says Martinez. "I'm very pleased that I can help just a little bit for a child to get a healthy start in life."

For more information about the Well Mother/Baby Program, call Visiting Nurse Association of Houston at 800-375-6877.

- EMMA CHAMBERS

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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