Pregnancy and Family

If you’re a mother-to-be, you may qualify for Little Footprints, a prenatal education program designed to guide you through a healthy pregnancy. Receive telephone calls from a nurse specializing in maternity care and educational information on healthy pregnancy habits and baby care. Our nurses are also available to answer questions throughout the pregnancy. 

Learn more about Little Footprints (PDF).

We offer a comprehensive lactation support program through our partner Corporate Lactation Services (CLS), to provide guidance and equipment for women who are breastfeeding. 

Through this program, MVP offers nursing mothers state-of-the-art breastfeeding equipment—including breast pumps and the accessories required to use them—and access to certified lactation consultants and registered nurses 24/7/365. Nursing mothers can expect outreach calls from their consultant, and helpful information about different stages of breastfeeding. Mothers can also call their consultant with questions or concerns from the start of their breastfeeding journey, though weaning. 

This program is available to all MVP members; benefit limitations may apply. Call the MVP Customer Care Center at the phone number on the back of your Member ID card to see if you qualify. View a guide to your Member ID card

Three easy ways to enroll: 

• Enroll online
• Complete and return enrollment form (PDF) 
• Contact Corporate Lactation Services by phone at 1-888-818-5653 or by email 

Newborn hearing screening programs are designed to identify hearing loss in infants shortly after birth. Most hearing screening tests are done before a baby leaves the hospital or birthing clinic. 

Screening is easy, painless, and usually quick. In fact, most babies sleep through a screening. 

 If your baby does not pass their first screening, talk to your baby’s doctor about the results and schedule a complete hearing test before they turn three months old. 

 

Related resources: 

• NYSDOH Newborn Hearing Screening–Resources for Parents 
• Vermont DOH–Early Hearing Detection and Intervention 
• CDC Parent’s Guide–Understanding Hearing

Regular check-ups—called Well-Child visits—are an important first step of keeping children healthy. Instead of visiting the doctor only when they are sick, these appointments can help find any problems early—when they are more treatable—and help protect children from a variety of potentially serious health problems. Regular check-ups with your child’s doctor also provide parents the opportunity to talk about any medical or mental health questions or concerns they may have. 

• Learn more about Well-Child visits (PDF) 

Watch the below video to learn more about the importance of Well-Child visits to your child’s health and well-being. 

Immunizations—or vaccines—are the safe and most effective way to protect children from illnesses such as whooping cough, chicken pox, polio, and measles. Doctors follow a vaccination schedule. It is timed to protect children when they are more likely to be exposed to disease. Children need vaccines starting at birth, through young childhood, and into their teens. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website to access information and recommended immunization schedules. Be sure to talk to your child’s doctor about which immunizations your child may need. 

What Do Vaccines Prevent?

When children are due for a vaccine, parents may be unsure what the vaccines are for. The chart below shows the diseases that children are protected from with the help of vaccines. 

Kids go through a lot of changes in the first few years of their lives. To help them stay healthy, it’s important that they visit their doctor and have certain tests completed. Talk to your child’s doctor about these tests: 

Newborn Hearing Test

Newborn babies will have a hearing test before they leave the hospital. If they do not pass the hearing test, they must have another hearing test by the time they are three months old. If a child has hearing loss, it is important to diagnose it early, so they can get help to avoid developmental delays. 

Blood Lead Test

Children should have a blood lead screening around age one and again around age two. Lead can cause many health issues and developmental delays. It can be found in paint, dust, soil, water, and old toys. Younger children have a higher risk of contact with lead because they put their hands and other objects into their mouths. 

Learn more about blood lead testing: 

• Blood Lead Testing in Vermont
• CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention 
• NYSDOH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention

Developmental Testing and Autism Screening

Children should receive developmental screenings during their well-child visits when they are nine months, 18 months, and 30 months old. 

During developmental screenings, a doctor checks your child’s physical and mental growth. If your child is experiencing any delays, doctors can provide assistance right on the spot. This assistance is called “early intervention.” 

Autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) affects about 1 in 54 children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all children be screened for ASD at their 18- and 24-month well-child check-ups. Early intervention can help improve outcomes for many children with autism. To learn more about autism and other developmental disabilities, visit HealthyChildren.org. 

If your child has recently been diagnosed with ASD, learn more about our recommended evaluations for autism spectrum disorder.