Babies First!

Babies First! identifies and screens infants at risk for health and developmental problems. Many conditions at birth such as: prematurity, low birth weight, or exposure to drugs and alcohol, can lead to long-term health problems. With help, education, and support families can prevent or reduce the consequences of future health problems, and learn how to cope with existing health issues.

BABIES FIRST! NURSES VISIT FAMILIES IN THEIR HOMES

A Nurse works in partnership with each family to identify conditions that place their children at risk for future problems. The Nurse then helps families find and use community resources, including health care, and assists the family to develop parenting skills to meet their child’s unique needs. Babies First! Nurses visit family homes to provide the following services and screenings:

  • Developmental screening
  • Monitoring of growth
  • Hearing, vision and dental screening;
  • Parent Child Interaction Assessment
  • Immunization assessment
  • Assessment of learning opportunities and safety in the home;
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) support services
  • Referral for medical care and social services as needed
  • Education on health topics
  • Case management services
  • Consultation to other service providers, such as Healthy Start Family Support Workers

BENEFITS OF BABIES FIRST!

Babies First! improves infant health, family strength, and community health. Babies First! directly helps infants by identifying and eliminating potential health problems. By educating and supporting parents, Babies First! helps families prepare for and navigate successfully through normal developmental changes and their child’s individual health issues. Babies First! families receive the services they most value: information on how babies grow and learn, growth measurement, developmental screening, and health information. When families have the resources and information they need to thrive, the entire community benefits.

 

Resources

Oregon’s Babies First! Program

Contact us to learn more about our Babies First program

Call us – 541-575-0429