Program Is a ‘Great Start’ for New Moms

In an effort to address the concerns and questions of new parents, Kaiser Permanente announced the creation of a new “Great Starts” program.

Inevitably, most new mothers have questions or issues after they leave the hospital and are faced with caring for their babies the first week, said Linda Hanna, a lactation specialist and maternal child health educator.

With Great Starts, those issues are addressed by professionals, and the women and their babies are physically examined. “It’s a way for physicians to have an early inspection to detect such problems as jaundice . . . or weight, or eating problems with the babies,” Hanna said.

Each mother discharged from the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Woodland Hills is contacted by the second day after the birth to receive a one-time general health assessment.

Since the program began in September, 350 pairs of mothers and babies have been evaluated, Hanna said. The staff enjoys participating in the program because it gives them some peace of mind about letting babies go home soon after birth, during the period when undetected health problems can arise.

“It satisfied our staff to know that someone is going to look after [the women and the babies] within a few days,” she said.

Topics the nurses in the program deal with include infant feeding, circumcision and color of skin. Hanna said the first few days after a birth are the most crucial.

“Babies change a lot the first 24 hours.”