Maternity: Paediatric Care

Paediatric Care

Paediatricians are doctors who have specialised in the care of children. 

Their role is primarily with sick babies and infants, children who have severe acute illnesses such as pneumonia or meningitis, and the care of children with chronic conditions such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or asthma.

At Pindara hospital the Paediatrician will examine your baby in the first 24 hours of life to ensure that there are no apparent congenital abnormalities or other major concerns.

You may choose a specific Paediatrician or alternatively a Paediatrician can be recommended by your obstetrician.

This is also an opportunity to discuss baby management issues, any family history of relevance, or other concerns. 

The Paediatrician will generally visit you and your baby during the hospital stay on a regular basis to look for concerns with feeding, jaundice, and particularly to check that no heart murmurs develop. 

The Paediatrician will then organise to see the baby several weeks later to check that all the normal developmental milestones are being achieved and that the baby is developing a good routine.

Subsequent to this visit, the baby will then be referred back to the general practitioner for ongoing care and would only need to see a Paediatrician if there were specific concerns identified by the general practitioner. 

You will receive a bill for this medical care which may include a gap payment.  Generally babies will not need to be admitted to special care nursery unless there are some specific concerns and therefore the medical care will be as an outpatient.  This may mean that you are able to utilise the Medicare safety net.

A Paediatrician will attend the delivery of the baby if there is a specific concern.  This would include multiple births, premature babies, breech deliveries, emergency caesarean sections, or a previously identified problem.

Paediatricians do not routinely attend vaginal deliveries or elective caesarean sections.  There is paediatric care available for Pindara maternity and special care nursery 24 hours per day 365 days per year.

Some parents may wish to have their sons circumcised.  The policy of the Royal Australian College of Physicians is that there is no good medical indication to have this procedure performed.  Circumcisions are not performed while babies are at Pindara hospital.  This procedure can however be organised as an outpatient by the parents.

The paediatricians have participated in the development of an informative DVD which is shown to the antenatal classes.  This provides a lot of extra information regarding many baby issues.  These include cot death, hearing screening, skin care, immunisations, premature babies, and helping your baby develop a routine.

The paediatricians attending Pindara hospital hope you have an enjoyable, supportive, and informative stay while at Pindara and a happy and healthy future with your child.

Special Care Nursery

Our Nursery provides ongoing care for sick / premature babies not yet ready for discharge to home.

Parents are allowed free access to visit their baby in the nursery at any time.  Occasionally they may be asked to leave the Nursery whilst a procedure on another baby is in progress.

Due to babies’ increased risk of infection, a strict visiting policy is implemented for all other visitors.  If you have a baby admitted to the Special Care Nursery you will receive a Parent’s Information Booklet which details the visiting policy and other information pertaining to the nursery.

NB.  All visitors must wash hands thoroughly on entry to the nursery.