Maternal Child Health Services

Physicians can request a Public Health Assessment of a Follow-up visit from DBCH for pregnant women, mothers, and young children for the following: 

Home visiting services include:

• Perform physical and psychosocial nursing assessments of mothers, infants and children.
• Assess nutritional status of mothers, infants and children and provide education and referral to Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) and/or other nutrition assistance programs.
• Assess growth and development of all infants and children.
• Screen all infants and children for developmental delays and provide developmental surveillance for those identified at risk.
• Refer infants and children with developmental delays to the Early Intervention Program (EIP).
• Identify family strengths and weaknesses and provide health education as needed.
• Provide education to promote positive parent-child interaction.
• Identify families at risk for child abuse and neglect; as well as provide support services and referrals to child abuse prevention programs and/or agencies.
• Refer to domestic violence advocacy agency when indicated.
• Provide childhood immunization information and education.
• Perform home evaluations and provide injury prevention education including lead poisoning prevention.
• Provide case management and assists families to access community resources and primary health care.
• Screen infants and children for developmental delays and link to community resources as needed.
• Refer infants and children with suspected developmental delays to the Early Intervention Program.

The Department of Community & Family Services refers all foster care children under the age of 3 to Public Health Nursing for developmental assessment, ensuring the healthy development of foster care children and support foster care families.

Each newborn in New York State is tested for metabolic diseases, HIV infection, and has their hearing screened. NYSDOH and local hospitals refer those newborns that have positive or incomplete results and have not been able to be reached for follow-up to Public Health Nursing.  The Public Health Nurses locate these families and arrange for re-testing and medical follow-up.