Home Visitation

Maternal Child Health Coordination services are provided in the family’s home during monthly visits throughout pregnancy and the baby’s first year of life.    Home visits are conducted by highly-trained Maternal Child Health Coordinators who are supported by a multi-disciplinary licensed clinical team that includes Nurse Case Managers, Social Workers and a Dietician.  Services are provided in English, Spanish & Vietnamese.  Major components of the program include:

Maternal Health Screenings & Education Infant Health & Development Screenings Pregnancy & Diabetes Breastfeeding

Maternal Health Screenings & Education

We believe that pregnancy and early parenting offers a window of time when a mother can make healthy lifestyle choices that will affect her lifelong health as well as the health and well-being of the entire family.  During this time, mothers are willing to make lifestyle changes to ensure their baby is born healthy and has the best possible start in life.  Throughout pregnancy, mothers are educated on prenatal care, well-woman care, nutrition, exercise, and stress management.  Along with monthly health screenings, mothers are screened for their risk of diabetes, pre-term labor, and maternal depression.

Infant Health & Development Screenings

Throughout the first year of life, infants are screened for normal growth and development.  Parents are provided with information on what to expect in their infant’s health and development over the next month while age appropriate activities to stimulate mental and physical development are demonstrated.  At 4-months, 8-months, and 12-months of age, infants are formally screened for achievement of developmental milestones.  Screenings focus on five key developmental areas: 1) communication, 2) fine motor skills, 3) gross motor skills, 4) personal/social interaction, and 5) problem solving.  Infants identified as having a risk for a potential delay are immediately referred to their pediatrician for a comprehensive developmental assessment by a medical professional.

Infant development tool kits are provided to each family to enhance early brain development and fine motor skills.  The kits include an infant book, rattle, developmental toys, crayons, coloring book, and a bag of finger foods to stimulate fine motor skills.  Early literacy is promoted by showing to parents how to read to their children.  Parents are encouraged to read to their infants daily and to allow their infant to play with and hold books as often as possible.

 

Pregnancy & Diabetes

Prenatal care is important for all pregnant women.  For those with diabetes, there is higher than normal risk of infant and maternal morbidity and mortality.  There is strong scientific evidence that many of the complications of diabetes in pregnancy can be reduced or prevented with intervention during pregnancy.  For mothers who have diabetes or are at-risk for diabetes, we provide specialized Pregnancy & Diabetes health care coordination and education with a focus on linkage with a medical provider, nutrition, exercise, regulation of blood sugars, and positive coping skills for management of a chronic disease.  Our in-home program has helped to improve outcomes for pregnant diabetic mothers and reduce their risk of type II diabetes after pregnancy. 

Breastfeeding

As early as the first prenatal home visit, mothers are strongly encouraged to exclusively breastfeed their infants if they are able.  Mothers are educated on the benefits of breastfeeding and the proper nutrition and feeding of their baby.  In January 2009, we introduced a new breastfeeding support service.  A Breastfeeding Support Coordinator will provide special newborn home visits dedicated to breastfeeding and will be available for telephone consultation for urgent breastfeeding issues. 

For more information on our Maternal Child Health Coordination home visitation program, contact Yvette Bojorquez, RN, Director of Client Services at 714-352-3400 or ybojorquez@momsorangecounty.org.