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Which newborn procedures to get?

1K views 14 replies 15 participants last post by  cheeseRjedi 
#1 ·
It has been a couple of bad weeks for my pregnancy--some of my most recent posts include my midwife freaking out on my for wanting to decline IV antibiotics and being GBS positive, looking for a new practice and being diagnosed with gestational diabetes!! Today's lovely news includes a list of testing an dprocedures that are routinely performed after birthing my baby at the birthing center. Which ones should I have them perform? Do you know what happens if I refuse to do the "state requirements?" I live in CT.

I thought I recently saw a post on this, but cannot find. Let me know what you think. HEre are the tests/procedures:

1.. Erythromycin eye prophylaxis--ointment in babies eyes after birth to prevent blindness and/or infection from undetcted gonorrhea or chlamydial infection (neither which I have or every had). State requirement.

2. Newborn metabolic screening (PKU)--blood test before discharge. Tests for several hereditary metabolic and enzymatic diseases. State requirement--additional fee of $35 too!

3. Hearing test. State requirement

4. Vitamin K injection--standard treatment

If the vit K injection is required, I won't do it. But the other 3 are state required and I'm not sure if I should fight the good fight. I'm so exhausted after all of the fighting with my midwife that I'm not sure I can take on the state!
:

THANKS!
 
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#2 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by CT Mommy View Post
It has been a couple of bad weeks for my pregnancy--some of my most recent posts include my midwife freaking out on my for wanting to decline IV antibiotics and being GBS positive, looking for a new practice and being diagnosed with gestational diabetes!! Today's lovely news includes a list of testing an dprocedures that are routinely performed after birthing my baby at the birthing center. Which ones should I have them perform? Do you know what happens if I refuse to do the "state requirements?" I live in CT.

I thought I recently saw a post on this, but cannot find. Let me know what you think. HEre are the tests/procedures:

1.. Erythromycin eye prophylaxis--ointment in babies eyes after birth to prevent blindness and/or infection from undetcted gonorrhea or chlamydial infection (neither which I have or every had). State requirement.

2. Newborn metabolic screening (PKU)--blood test before discharge. Tests for several hereditary metabolic and enzymatic diseases. State requirement--additional fee of $35 too!

3. Hearing test. State requirement

4. Vitamin K injection--standard treatment

If the vit K injection is required, I won't do it. But the other 3 are state required and I'm not sure if I should fight the good fight. I'm so exhausted after all of the fighting with my midwife that I'm not sure I can take on the state!
:

THANKS!
I did not do any. I would not do 1 or 4 under any circumstances. The others I would consider.

-Angela
 
#4 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by CT Mommy View Post

1.. Erythromycin eye prophylaxis--ointment in babies eyes after birth to prevent blindness and/or infection from undetcted gonorrhea or chlamydial infection (neither which I have or every had). State requirement.

In FL, where dd was born it is also a state requirement, I declined, you have to sign a waiver-not a big deal

2. Newborn metabolic screening (PKU)--blood test before discharge. Tests for several hereditary metabolic and enzymatic diseases. State requirement--additional fee of $35 too!

I do this, IMO metabolic disorders are no joke, and cause harm if not delt with early

3. Hearing test. State requirement

not invasive in any way, so why fight it

4. Vitamin K injection--standard treatment

I declined it, but might consider it if it ended up being a physically traumatic birth for baby, or if you plan to circ if it's a boy, you can also do things now to increase your vit k as baby will get that through BM.
waivers are your friend
 
#5 ·
We declined the eye goop. My daughter is 20 months and has never had to have antibiotics! Not that the two are related, but it's exciting nonetheless


If you decline the vitamin K shot, please please consider doing the full course of oral doses. (I believe it's three) My friend almost lost her son to brain hemmoraging becuse she declined the shot and didn't follow up with the oral. It is rare, but vitamin K deficiency is a serious problem.
 
#6 ·
Well I was going to say, if you do nothing else at least do the hearing test because it is really easy, painless, and can really help your child if he/she were to have a hearing impairment. But, I see it is a state requirement there, so I guess you will be doing it for sure. Good luck with your decisions.
 
#8 ·
I would definitely do the PKU test and the hearing screening. PKU and other metabolic disorders are rare, but if your child happens to be the unlucky one, you will want to know right away in order to prevent irreversible damage. The hearing screening is painless, and early detection of a hearing problem can be useful.

I've seen arguments both for and against the vitamin K shot, I won't comment on that one.

I would definitely refuse the eye ointment if you know you are free from infection.
 
#12 ·
PKU and other metabolic disorders won't even show up until the baby has begun nursing (usually they say it's most accurate after your milk has come in) so IMO having it done at birth is pointless. I would not decline it all together (although ds2 didn't get it....we forgot all about it when we took him to meet our family doc at 3 weeks!), but I would try to make arrangements with your doc/ped to have it done after your milk comes in. Some MWs also can make arrangements for the blood tests.

The hearing test is non-invasive, and very quick. It's basically an instrument sort of like an ear thermometer that they gently insert into each ear and press some buttons. Doesn't seem to bother the babies a bit! In fact, we've always done it while the baby was nursing, and they didn't even look up!


I would definitely decline the eye goop, since you know your STD status is negative. I would definitely decline the Vit. K shot and the oral unless the birth was very traumatic and the baby showed extensive bruising. Even in that case, I would try arnica oil and/or rescue remedy before resorting to Vit. K.

Healthy babies are born with just the right amount of vitamin K for them! Don't let some doctor tell you that "all" babies are vit. k deficient! That doesn't even make good nonsense! If vit k levels in all babies are "low", then obviously "low" is normal for babies. I seriously can't understand why doctors don't understand that!


As far as vit k to prevent problems related to circumcision....the BEST way to prevent such problems is to just not circ!
 
#13 ·
My cousin has PKU... It can be seriously debilitating, causing mental retardation and death if he eats any protein at all. He goes to a camp in the summer with other children with PKU... You'd be surprised how many there really are out there. I will always have my children tested for that atleast, because if they were born and something happened to them(that could have been prevented) because I opted to not have the test done, I would never forgive myself.
 
#14 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by CT Mommy View Post
It has been a couple of bad weeks for my pregnancy--some of my most recent posts include my midwife freaking out on my for wanting to decline IV antibiotics and being GBS positive, looking for a new practice and being diagnosed with gestational diabetes!! Today's lovely news includes a list of testing an dprocedures that are routinely performed after birthing my baby at the birthing center. Which ones should I have them perform? Do you know what happens if I refuse to do the "state requirements?" I live in CT.

I thought I recently saw a post on this, but cannot find. Let me know what you think. HEre are the tests/procedures:

1.. Erythromycin eye prophylaxis--ointment in babies eyes after birth to prevent blindness and/or infection from undetcted gonorrhea or chlamydial infection (neither which I have or every had). State requirement.

2. Newborn metabolic screening (PKU)--blood test before discharge. Tests for several hereditary metabolic and enzymatic diseases. State requirement--additional fee of $35 too!

3. Hearing test. State requirement

4. Vitamin K injection--standard treatment

If the vit K injection is required, I won't do it. But the other 3 are state required and I'm not sure if I should fight the good fight. I'm so exhausted after all of the fighting with my midwife that I'm not sure I can take on the state!
:

THANKS!
1. erythromycin eye drops -- NO

2. newborn metabolic screening -- yes

3. Hearing test -- yes

4. Vitamin K injection -- NO

From my understanding, with the exception of NY state, although it is "required by law" for the hospital to administer the eye drops and the Vit. K in some states, it is NOT required for you to consent, and you have the PARENTAL RIGHT to refuse. Visit the vaccinations forum. They have an entire section on newborn procedures & everyone is very knowledgable. Fight the fight, for your baby. You are his/her ONLY advocate.
 
#15 ·
We did PKU (at 7 days to establish nursing) and oral vit k. Not sure we're going to do the vit k this time, but probably since the oral dose didn't seem too invasive. We would not have done if it was a shot. Eye goop definitely refuse if you know you are negative for the std. We only didn't do the hearing screening b/c she responded well to any sound and we knew it wasn't a problem.
 
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