The physicians at Lake Vista Pediatrics offer the following information for prospective parents in an effort to answer questions that may arise prenatally regarding the newborn care that will be provided in the hospital (or at home if you choose a home birth). We hope you will find the following information useful in choosing your pediatrician. Our website includes a “PRENATAL FORM“ which we ask that you complete to assist us in making the necessary medical decisions in the best interest of your baby.
Where We Go
HOSPITALS
Currently the Lake Vista pediatricians personally attend newborns in the hospital nurseries of Ochsner Baptist Hospital and Touro Infirmary. If you plan your delivery at any other hospital, including East Jefferson General Hospital, Tulane/Lakeside, West Jefferson, St. Tammany, or Lakeview, a pediatrician or neonatologist on staff at these hospitals will attend your infant’s healthcare needs in the days following delivery, and upon discharge, the Lake Vista Pediatrics staff can assist you in making your infant’s first visit to our office.
Let Us Know
ADMISSION
When you are admitted to the hospital, your obstetrician or midwife will ask for the name of your pediatrician so that appropriate notification can be made upon delivery. Once the office receives notification, the pediatrician will be required to examine your infant within 24 hours of delivery, or sooner, if the nursery staff feels there are medical concerns beyond the scope of routine newborn care. Your pediatrician is not present during the delivery, unless there exists a “high risk” concern by your obstetrician, such as prematurity or a C-Section, at which time the neonatal nurse practitioner at the hospital will be directed to your delivery. Usually your pediatrician will examine your baby daily and visit with you until the day of discharge, whereupon instructions will be given for follow-up care at the office.
At The Hospital
ROUTINE NEWBORN CARE
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Louisiana law determine the protocols that hospitals utilize for the routine care of your well baby. Our pediatricians embrace these guidelines as recommendations made in the best interest of your newborn. However, some parents will request that the routine protocol be edited. Your pediatrician will discuss these requests with you and can sign a “birth plan” written by the parents indicating their specific wishes.
Routine care provided to your newborn includes the administration of erythromycin eye ointment. Louisiana law stipulates that newborns receive this antibiotic ointment to prevent gonococcal infection of the eyes. Newborns will also be administered a vitamin K injection, which is a recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics, to assure full blood clotting function. Some parents choose administering vitamin K orally – the AAP does not advise this route of administration. When your baby is 24 hours or more of age, Louisiana law requires a blood test, in the form of a heel stick, to screen for nine genetic diseases, including, but not limited to, PKU disease, hypothyroidism, sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis. Early medical intervention can be instituted if these diseases are identified timely. Lastly, some pediatricians will include orders for the administration of a hepatitis B immunization prior to discharge of your infant. Lake Vista pediatricians do not recommend the hepatitis B vaccine in a newborn unless the mother has tested positive herself.
Mothers Choice
NEWBORN FEEDINGS
The Lake Vista pediatricians support a mother’s choice of feeding her baby, whether it be by breast or bottle. We do encourage every mother to breastfeed unless there are medical reasons to do otherwise. Your midwife or hospital lactation specialist will assist you in successful nursing. Our staff can continue to support mothers throughout the breast-feeding experience.
Congratulations on becoming parents! After reviewing the above information, you may request a short prenatal visit with one of our pediatricians to address additional questions or concerns you may have, and to discuss your birth plan.
Procedures
CIRCUMCISION
If you have chosen circumcision for your male infant, we ask that you inquire whether or not your obstetrician will perform the procedure in the hospital nursery prior to discharge. In the event of a home delivery, or delivery at a hospital in which we have no privileges, we can arrange a circumcision as an outpatient in the office of a Pediatric Urologist.
Payment
NEWBORN HOSPITAL CHARGES & INSURANCE
Before your baby’s arrival, please take a few moments to understand your covered benefits. While our staff will review with you your policy benefits, it is of utmost importance that you go over the policy to familiarize yourself with the plan benefits and coverage. Some insurance companies do not cover or have very limited well baby care. Also, the pediatrician’s fees for your newborn are separate from hospital charges. Be sure to ask all the important questions regarding newborn hospital care and the pediatrician’s well baby care office visits.
Once your baby arrives, your physician is notified by the hospital, at which time the doctor will visit you and your newborn for an in-hospital admit newborn exam. Exams are usually done each day you and the baby are in the hospital. Discharge is arranged after hospital documents are completed by the physician.
We know that this is a very exciting and busy time for you, but it is important that soon after the baby is born, parents call their insurance company to add the baby to the policy. Most insurance companies allow only 30 days for this process. If, after 30 days the baby is not placed on the policy, it then becomes the parents responsibility to pay all charges within 60 days after birth.
Our office also will contact your insurance company to verify benefits. We will then apply all benefits reported. All out-of-pocket deductibles or any non-covered services that are not covered under the plan on your newborn are due at the time services are provided.
For your convenience, we do accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Our business staff will assist you should you have any questions regarding the above policies.
