A baby’s safety is very important at BMC. Only staff wearing yellow identification badges are allowed to transport a baby from a mother’s room to other areas. Each baby will have a tag placed on his/her ankle when admitted to the unit. This is a part of an electronic-monitoring system used to keep babies safe. The tag will be removed before they leave the hospital. ## During the hospital stay, the baby will receive: - Eye Ointment (by 2 hours of life) - Vitamin K Shot (by 2 hours of life) - Hearing Screen (before going home) - Hepatitis B Immunization (before going home) - Newborn Metabolic Screening (after 24 hours of life) ## The team will provide patients with: - Personalized instruction on newborn care - Tips for successful breastfeeding - Access to videos that address infant care, safety, feeding, and other topics - Help identifying a primary care provider and making the first appointment - Birth certificates Before going home, each family is given a book about newborn and child care called *Growing Up Healthy* (in English or Spanish). Parents are encouraged to bring this book to all of their pediatric visits and to use it to record their infant's growth and special achievements. ### Things to take care of before bringing a new baby home: **Car Seat:** A car seat is necessary to bring the baby home from the hospital. If a patient has BMC HealthNet Plan, they will automatically get a free infant car seat on the day they leave the hospital. For information call: 1-800-CAR-SAFE (227-7233). **Health Insurance:** Patients are eligible. Call or visit these websites for more information: [WellSense Health Plan](http://www.bmchp.org/) 617.414.6100 [MassHealth (Medicaid)](http://www.mass.gov/masshealth) 1.800.682.1062 **Making sure the patient’s home is safe for a baby:** **To find out if a home is safe for a baby, reach out to one of the following programs.** Boston Public Health Commission Childhood Injury Prevention Program 617.534.5197 BMC Family Help Desk 617.414.4349 Lead Safety Issues: Lead Poisoning Prevention Program 617.534.2641 **Breastfeeding Information:**Call the BMC Breastfeeding Center at 617.414.MILK (6455) for support and answers, and attend the [free breastfeeding classes](/pediatrics-lactation-services). BMC HealthNet Plan provides free electric breast pumps. ### Do You Need Help With Anything Else? Stop by the BMC Family Help Desk on the 5th floor of the Yawkey Ambulatory Care Building, located at 850 Harrison Avenue. They are open Monday - Wednesday and Friday from 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM. Call 617.414.4349 to schedule appointments for help with: - AFDC/Welfare to Work - Cash assistance - Childcare - Food - Health insurance - Housing - Job training/employment - Summer camp - WIC ### Important Phone Numbers The BirthPlace 617.414.4363 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) 617.414.4359 The Breastfeeding Center 617.414.MILK (6455) Labor and Delivery 617.414.4360 BMC HealthNet Plan Insurance 617.414.6100 Newborn Hearing Screen 617.414.4898 ### Resources ### Information for Families Click the links to get more information about accessing these resources. - [Car Seats](/sites/default/files/Patient_Care/Specialty_Care/Pediatrics___The_BirthPlace___Well_Baby_Unit/Services/Having_Your_Baby_at_BMC/field_Attachments/car_seats.pdf) (PDF) - [Childcare](/sites/default/files/Patient_Care/Specialty_Care/Pediatrics___The_BirthPlace___Well_Baby_Unit/Services/Having_Your_Baby_at_BMC/field_Attachments/child_care.pdf) (PDF) - [Food and Nutrition](/sites/default/files/Patient_Care/Specialty_Care/Pediatrics___The_BirthPlace___Well_Baby_Unit/Services/Having_Your_Baby_at_BMC/field_Attachments/FoodandNutrition.pdf) (PDF) - [Home Fuel Assistance](/sites/default/files/Patient_Care/Specialty_Care/Pediatrics___The_BirthPlace___Well_Baby_Unit/Services/Having_Your_Baby_at_BMC/field_Attachments/fuel_assistance.pdf) (PDF) - [Health Insurance](/sites/default/files/Patient_Care/Specialty_Care/Pediatrics___The_BirthPlace___Well_Baby_Unit/Services/Having_Your_Baby_at_BMC/field_Attachments/health_insurance.pdf) (PDF) - [Job Search/Skills Training](/sites/default/files/Patient_Care/Specialty_Care/Pediatrics___The_BirthPlace___Well_Baby_Unit/Services/Having_Your_Baby_at_BMC/field_Attachments/JobsFlyer.pdf) (PDF) ### Highlights - [Volunteers' Stories](/sites/default/files/Patient_Care/Specialty_Care/Pediatrics___The_BirthPlace___Well_Baby_Unit/Services/Having_Your_Baby_at_BMC/field_Attachments/ProjectBabyFallReportPart2.pdf) (PDF) - [Project Baby Fall 2006 Statistics Report](/sites/default/files/Patient_Care/Specialty_Care/Pediatrics___The_BirthPlace___Well_Baby_Unit/Services/Having_Your_Baby_at_BMC/field_Attachments/ProjectBabyFallStatisticsReport.pdf) (PDF)