The presence of your chosen pediatrician to examine your newborn is a frequent concern for expectant parents. This uncertainty arises because office-based pediatricians often operate differently from hospital medical teams. Navigating newborn care logistics involves understanding hospital staffing models and the specific credentials your doctor holds. The answer depends entirely on the professional relationship your pediatrician has with the hospital where you plan to deliver.
Understanding Hospital Privileges and Policies
A private pediatrician’s ability to attend a birth or perform a newborn examination is governed by whether they hold “hospital privileges” at that specific facility. These privileges are formal permissions granted by the hospital’s governing board that allow a doctor to practice medicine within the institution. Maintaining these credentials requires substantial time, including regular committee participation and adherence to hospital policies.
Many pediatricians in private practice choose not to maintain privileges at a delivery hospital, preferring to focus their time and resources on their outpatient office setting. This is particularly common in large metropolitan areas where hospitals employ their own dedicated physician staff. Conversely, in smaller community hospitals, it may be more common for local pediatricians to maintain privileges and visit their patients following birth. The hospital policy and the individual doctor’s practice model are the determining factors.
Who Provides Newborn Care During the Stay
When your chosen pediatrician does not have privileges or is not on-call, a dedicated team of medical professionals assumes responsibility for your newborn’s care. This model ensures that 24/7 pediatric expertise is available immediately, which is often more reliable than depending on an outside practice.
The primary caregivers are often pediatric hospitalists, who are pediatricians employed by the hospital to care for inpatients, including those in the newborn nursery. They conduct initial and daily physical examinations, monitor the baby’s vital signs, and address common newborn issues like jaundice or feeding difficulties. Hospitalists coordinate with your chosen community pediatrician to ensure a smooth transition of care upon discharge.
For high-risk or complicated deliveries, a neonatologist, a subspecialist in newborn care, may be called in. Neonatologists are trained to manage severely premature infants or those with complex medical issues requiring the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This specialized coverage is available in hospitals with higher levels of maternity care, ensuring any infant needing immediate, advanced intervention receives it without delay.
Essential Steps Before Delivery
Expectant parents should select a pediatrician well before the third trimester, ideally by the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy. This allows ample time to research options, interview doctors, and complete necessary paperwork.
Parents must take several essential steps before delivery:
- Contact the chosen pediatrician’s office directly to confirm their hospital policy.
- Verify whether they visit newborns at your specific delivery hospital or if they rely on the hospital’s in-house staff.
- Verify that the pediatrician and the hospital are included in your insurance network to prevent unexpected costs.
- Inform the hospital’s labor and delivery staff of your selected pediatrician’s name and contact information, ensuring they know where to send the newborn’s medical records.
Transitioning Care to the Pediatrician’s Office
The relationship with your chosen, office-based pediatrician begins shortly after you and your newborn are discharged. The first outpatient well-baby appointment is recommended within 24 to 72 hours of going home, especially if there were minor concerns like weight loss or jaundice. This early visit allows the pediatrician to perform a complete physical examination and assess the baby’s feeding and overall adjustment.
To maintain continuity of care, the hospital staff, including the pediatric hospitalists, will provide discharge summaries and initial test results directly to your chosen pediatrician’s office. This information transfer ensures your doctor is fully aware of the baby’s birth history, hospital course, and necessary follow-up instructions. Parents should bring a copy of the discharge paperwork to the first office visit to facilitate discussion of the baby’s health.