STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Both Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) and Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) have continued to update their policies for women giving birth during the coronavirus pandemic to both accommodate and support women while also keeping all staff and patients safe.
Both SIUH and RUMC are allowing a support person throughout the labor, delivery, and postpartum periods as long as they are asymptomatic for COVID-19 and have not been sick or suspected to have been sick with the coronavirus.
Dr. Adi Davidov, associate chair of the department of obstetrics at SIUH, told the Advance/SILive.com that a doula is also permitted during labor and delivery in addition to the support person.
“We are still in a pandemic. We are allowing a support person for labor and in the postpartum period but not in and out because it increases potential exposure,” Davidov said. Additionally, a support person is permitted to stay overnight if the mother is staying in a private room. If the room is shared, the support person is asked to leave at 10 p.m.
At RUMC, the support person must wear a mask and will receive a temperature check every 12 hours after entering the clinical area.
A support person is permitted into the Mother and Baby Unit, however, they are encouraged to go home at night to limit exposure in the postpartum area; they are permitted to return the next day.
“In circumstances such as in the triage room where spacing may not allow for social distancing for the patients and the OB care staff, the support person may possibly be asked to step into a separate waiting area during this brief assessment,” a RUMC spokesman explained.
CAN MOTHERS AND BABY ROOM TOGETHER?
At RUMC, if a mother is COVID-19 positive, the recommendation is to separate mom and baby.
“Physicians are encouraged to discuss this topic with patients prior to delivery,” the spokesman said.
Davidov said a COVID-positive asymptomatic mother is now allowed to room-in with her newborn after the hospital was previously separating the two.
“We believe the risk of transmission is much lower,” Davidov said about the policy change. “These women are likely non-infectious and there’s more literature to suggest that any shedding of the virus after recovering is likely non-infectious.”
CAN I VISIT MY CHILD IN THE NICU?
Davidov said both mother and father are permitted to visit a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) only after both mother and father have been confirmed negative for COVID-19.
Initially this was not permitted but the hospital has since changed its policy.
“Mothers and fathers couldn’t see their babies for weeks, which was crazy, but we arranged to have the fathers tested as well.,” he said.
Time limits on visitations are determined by pediatricians, he said.
At RUMC, only one parent or support person is permitted at a time at the bedside in the NICU for a limited time frame, the spokesman said.
ARE VISITORS PERMITTED?
On June 16, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that visitors would be permitted at hospitals across the state at the hospital’s discretion.
At this time, both hospitals said they are aware of the governor’s announcement and will make changes to visitation policies as needed to ensure the safety of patients, doctors, and staff.
Updated visitation information can be found here.
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