Hospitals limit visitations to parents, grandparents only
MARQUETTE -- At nine hours old, baby Forest Warlin is napping, unaware of anything except being tired and somewhat hungry. He has no idea what H1N1 is or why the Swine Flu is considered dangerous for his health.
But the staff at Marquette General Hospital are still taking precautions, restricting access to the family birthing units to parents, birthing coaches and grandparents only. Children, who are at the highest risk for developing H1N1, are not permitted on the O.B. floor.
"It's because of the increased incidents of the flu, both the regular and H1N1 in the community," said Clinical Director, Kristen Smith.
Besides restricting access to newborns, the hospital is also advising parents how to protect their babies at home.
"We talk about how important it is to keep the baby out of large crowds, especially if you think about grocery stores and restaurants," said Women and Children's Program Director, Cindy Ampe.
One recommendation is for anyone who comes into contact with a newborn to scrub their hands up to their elbows first. Another is to get older children vaccinated, since babies under six months old cannot get the vaccine.
"As well as the parents, especially the moms," Ampe said, "because they'll have some immunity to H1N1 and certainly if they're breastfeeding, that immunity will carry over to their newborn."
Other hospitals in the U.P. have also restricted access to their O.B. floors. They include Dickinson County Hospital and OSF St. Francis.
They're hoping that will help keep babies like little Forest safe in the coming days.
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