The saying that an ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure is especially
true when it comes to delivering a healthy baby at the end of a high-risk pregnancy. Diabetes, infections or other complications greatly increase a pregnant
woman’s chances of delivering a premature or sick infant. Fortunately for expectant mothers and fathers, proactive care
from an experienced perinatologist can significantly improve the odds of delivering a
healthy baby. For employers who bear the
financial burden and social responsibility
of providing health and disability insurance
coverage to workers, this is good news.
A perinatologist is an obstetrical subspecialist concerned with the care of the
mother and fetus that are at higher-than-normal risk for complications both during
the pregnancy and up to one month after
delivery. A high-risk baby might be cared
for by a perinatologist before birth and by
a neonatologist after birth.
“One really sick baby can incur hundreds
of thousands of dollars in insurance costs,”
says Dr. Patrick Walsh, director of neonatal
intensive care at Western Medical Center
Anaheim. “So having healthy babies is good
for business leaders and the community.”
“We are able to treat many of the conditions that lead to premature births,” says
Dr. Nandi Wijesinghe, medical director of
obstetric services at Western Medical
Center Anaheim. “The earlier a patient
seeks treatment, the less likely it is that the
baby will have complications at birth.”
Smart Business spoke with Walsh and
Wijesinghe about these concerns.
What constitutes perinatal services?
Walsh: Perinatal services are provided by
a highly specialized team, including a
board-certified physician and a trained
nursing staff. This type of care is critical
because it’s difficult for premature infants
to recover, and if things go wrong at birth,
they go wrong very quickly. So it’s imperative to have specially trained personnel
who attend to the patient over the course of
her pregnancy and who will be on the
premises of the medical center ready to
step in, if needed, during labor and delivery.
What should patients consider when selecting a medical center and physician for peri-natal care?
Walsh: I would evaluate the level of staff
interaction and how staffers respond to
your questions, because you really want to
be treated like a person — not a number —
and you want answers to all of your questions. Also, it’s important to ask who will be
attending the delivery. You don’t want a situation where the perinatologist or an anesthesiologist is on standby waiting for a call
to come to the delivery room, because time
is of the essence under these circumstances. Frequently, I wait outside the delivery room door just in case I’m needed
when one of my patients is delivering. Also,
mothers-to-be and fathers-to-be should ask
which physician will be on call just in case
the mother delivers when the perinatologist
is on vacation. Also, ask how the doctor will
transfer the information about the case to
another doctor, should delivery occur while
the patient’s regular perinatologist is away.
Wijesinghe: At large medical centers like
tertiary medical centers and teaching hospitals, patients frequently are cared for by a
team of physicians or an intern with limited hands-on experience. It’s important to
have a continuum of care, from the physician’s office all the way through delivery. I
believe that patients and infants fare better
with a greater level of one-on-one attention that is afforded by a private practice perinatologist.
What are the positive outcomes that result
from early treatment by perinatologists?
Wijesinghe: The likelihood of a baby
having complications at birth is greatly
reduced when high-risk obstetrics patients
are under the early care of a perinatologist.
This can reduce infant morbidity and mortality rates. The best outcomes are
achieved by doctors who deal with these
types of complications on a daily basis.
Walsh: New knowledge and practices
improve the treatment for patients with
high-risk pregnancies and premature infants. Patients need to be under the care of
a specialist who is constantly focused on
implementing new techniques in order to
benefit from the resulting improved outcomes.
How do Orange County businesses benefit
from this availability?
Walsh: Newborn intensive care is one of
the most expensive forms of medical treatment available. The impact of caring for a
sick infant can last for years, decades or
even a lifetime. So having a preventive program available locally can make a huge difference in direct costs to businesses and
help employees stay worry-free and productive.
Wijesinghe: In many areas, patients
have to be referred out for this kind of
medical care, which further increases the
cost to employers and the anxiety level for
patients. In poorly managed medical situations, the welfare of the mother and the
infant can be compromised quickly. When
we do our job effectively, the frequency of
complications is reduced, and everyone
benefits. For more information about prenatal care, contact Western Medical Center
Anaheim.
DR. NANDI WIJESINGHE is medical director of obstetric services at Western Medical Center Anaheim. Reach him at (714)
774-8870.
DR. PATRICK WALSH is director of neonatal intensive care at
Western Medical Center Anaheim. Reach him at (714) 502-1144.