Patrick W. Clements, MD

At Riley Hospital for Children, there is a new care model being used to care for babies at risk for withdrawal. The approach is called "Eat, Sleep, Console" and it focuses on meeting the needs of the baby and empowering parents to respond appropriately. To encourage all of this, babies "room in" with their caregiver. Evidence shows that rooming in can decrease the likelihood of a baby going to the NICU or requiring morphine therapy, which is an escalated treatment for babies with significant withdrawal.  We spoke to Dr. Pat Clements, the medical director for well newborn care, about how this family-centered care model is helping to lessen the stigma associated with opioid use disorder.

So, you finally get to take your new baby home -- now what? Newborns do not come with instructions and first time parents may face a lot of uncertainty in those first few days. Dr. Pat Clements, medical director of well newborn care for Riley Children's Health, offers some advice for families about what to monitor once you leave the hospital. He offers tips on how to ensure your newborn is safe and when to call the pediatrician. Plus, he provides some advice on how to handle COVID-19 concerns.