September is Baby Health Month and, when it comes to keeping your precious new arrival safe, happy and out of harm’s way, we have the educational resources parents need.
Know the risks.
Identifying the practices that most commonly put babies at risk is key to addressing their health. Whether from lack of knowledge, resources or support, Pediatrician Reshma Khatri, MD, FAAP, says the most common threats for newborns are:
- Feeding issues
- Sleep position
- Abuse
- Infections
- Undiagnosed medication conditions
Prenatal Supervisor and Birth Planner Angela Russ, MSN, RNC-MNN, is also close to the threats new parents face. “One of the most important topics is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS),” she said. “Newborns are at risk up until one year of age, with the highest risk between approximately 2-4 months, and approximately 90% of cases before 6 months.“ Parkview Community Nursing offers a Safe Sleep Crib Class, where expectant mothers and those with a child younger than one can learn about SIDS, Safe Sleep, and receive a free Pack-n-Play so their baby has a safe place to sleep. (To enroll in this class, mothers must have a financial need, or participate in WIC or Medicaid to qualify automatically.)
This time of year, child safety in and around vehicles is also important. “Our Basic and Beyond Parenting and Grandparents Class educates on the importance of heatstroke (hyperthermia), vehicle rollaways, power window accidents, seat belt entanglement, trunk entrapment and backovers.” Angela said.
Other areas to be aware of include water safety, baby proofing your home, and car seat inspection and safety. “Parkview Randallia’s Family Birthing Center has a permanent fitting station where anyone from the community can make an appointment with a Certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technician to have their car seat inspected and installed properly. We have approximately a dozen Certified CPS Technicians at Parkview Regional Medical Center as well.”
Education is the key to prevention.
In addition to the resources mentioned above, Parkview offers a vast assortment of classes, free to any mother who plans to deliver at one of our locations. “Our Prenatal Education Program is an amazing resource to the community,” Angela shared. “All of the classes cover important topics to provide families with the education, resources and skills necessary to achieve optimal outcomes before, during and after delivery.”
“We encourage expecting moms to bring a support person with them, whether it be a spouse, mother, sister or friend. The classes are taught by a variety of instructors with various backgrounds including RNs, doulas, International Certified Childbirth Educators (ICCE), International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) and even a vet technician! In addition, we offer the American Heart Association's Family and Friends CPR at both our Basic & Beyond Parenting and our Grandparents Classes.”
Whether you’re expecting, new to parenting or just looking for a little refresher, we invite you to join one of our sessions during Baby Health Month, and throughout the year.
