Women’s and Children’s Program teams up with
BAPTIST HEALTH Home Health for High Risk
Pregnancy Care
- Baptist Home Health Network OB Telehealth Program presentation (will open in new window)
Have you or someone you know had a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia? Besides casting a shadow over an otherwise joyful season in the life of an expectant mother, this condition can pose health risks for both mother and child. Symptoms include high blood pressure, swelling of the hands and face, protein in the urine, abdominal pain while lying on the right side and vision problems. Ongoing medical treatment is essential to keep mother and baby healthy until delivery.
Fortunately, this condition almost always disappears after birth. However, to protect the well-being of mother and child it is vital that her health be monitored closely during the course of the pregnancy. In some cases, hospitalization is necessary long before birth so the mother can be watched continuously to avoid any further complications.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the mother could stay at home throughout her pregnancy but still be monitored daily by healthcare professionals? Thanks to new cutting-edge technology, that option will become available in June 2006! Women with high-risk pregnancies who meet certain medical criteria can be placed in the High-Risk Pregnancy Program of BAPTIST HEALTH Home Health. This program combines weekly visits by a registered nurse to the expectant mother’s home and the placement of a small Telehealth monitor in the home to provide daily updates on her condition.
The monitor is programmed by the nurse to the specific needs and daily routines of each mother. At certain times of the day, it will prompt her to take her blood pressure, weigh, record urine test results and any other health measurements deemed necessary. The results are transmitted securely to the Home Health office where they are reviewed by a nurse for any indication of a problem. If something is detected, the Home Health staff works with the mother’s physician to determine what changes may be needed in her treatment plan. If necessary, a nurse will make unscheduled visits to be sure mom is doing okay.
The goal of this program is to keep mom out of the hospital and at home for her entire pregnancy! Through the daily monitoring of her condition, and home visits by a nurse, potential problems are quickly identified and immediately addressed. By allowing mom to stay at home, she is kept healthy and happy as her pregnancy progresses.
If you would like more information about this exciting new program, please call Customer Service at BAPTIST HEALTH Home Health at 202–7882 (in Little Rock) or toll-free at 1–800–850–6789.