17 Apr Why Yellow is the Most Important Newborn Color

Why Yellow (Yes, not Pink, or Blue) is the Most Important Newborn Color and Answers to Questions that New or Expectant Parents Must Ask the Pediatrician

CONGRATULATIONS!
You are having a baby soon! (Or babies – both Dr. Koutures and Dr. Sharma of ActiveKidMD have twin boys!)

You are excited, nervous, and probably aren’t sure exactly what to expect when you turn from expecting to actually parenting.

With over 35 years of pediatric experience, let’s dial down some of that anxiety by sharing answers to questions that all new or expecting parents have or should have. And yes, we will explain why YELLOW is the most important color for newborns.

Should first time EXPECTANT PARENTS meet the pediatrician before the birth?

Yes! When looking for a pediatrician you will entrust the care of your child to for the next 18 years, a bunch of 5-star reviews or recommendations from friends are helpful, however, an actual meeting in office can seal the deal. There is no better time to meet the pediatrician than during the weeks or months before the baby is born. Both Dr. Sharma and Dr. Koutures welcome soon-to-be parents to schedule a no cost “Meet the Physician” visit at our office. Many pediatric offices offer similar opportunities.

It is SO MUCH easier to park, find the suite, walk in, and take in the office vibe without a car seat/stroller, baby bag, and a sleeping or crying infant. You can get a good feel if the office is a good fit for you.

• Is it easy to access?
• Is it close to home/work?
• Does the office have sick and well reception rooms? (We do at ActiveKidMD!)
• Most importantly, do the pediatricians and staff make the effort to get to know you and your partner? This is the time to make those connections.

In this first meeting, we will discuss what to expect in those first exciting months after birth, review basic newborn care, discuss how our office works, and give you familiar faces to help greet your new arrival. We can also confirm whether your insurance is accepted.

Tell us about your practice and childcare philosophies.

We pride ourselves on providing individualized, comprehensive, and evidence-based care that acknowledges the best course of action may be different for each family. We do not dictate treatment plans, rather we discuss options, alternatives, and risks/benefits so you can confidently share in the decision-making process. We are not hesitant to communicate with colleagues to provide collaborative team-based care for your family.

Do you have any sub-specialty areas?

With ActiveKidMD, you are not just getting board-certified pediatricians, you are also getting board-certified sports medicine specialists who can work with your active child from birth through the young adult years. Kids grow fast, and before you know it, you might be regulars on the fields, courts, and/or dance floors. Choosing a pediatrician with specialized skills in sports medicine helps keep older kids more connected and offers on-going unique opportunities to discuss fitness, nutrition, and injury reduction.

What items should I include in my newborn baby bag?

Your newborn baby bag doesn’t need to have many medicines. While your newborn baby bag should have many diapers, burp cloths, and extra outfits, it really doesn’t need to have many medical items. Yes, do keep that green bulb syringe that you should get at delivery. This can be very helpful for suctioning your baby’s nose and mouth if they have congestion with a cold. Saline (good old salt water) can be used with the bulb syringe to help suck out snot and congestion. You MAY want to put acetaminophen (aka Tylenol) in the bag BUT do not use it when your baby is under 3-4 months of life without FIRST checking with the pediatrician.

IN FACT, immediately call the office if your baby who is under 3-4 months of age has a fever (over 100 degrees) or is sick with any issues.

Ibuprofen (aka Motrin or Advil) should only be used for children older than 6 months of age. We do not routinely recommend any other over-the-counter cough or cold medications for babies and young children. Please check with the pediatrician before using any treatments for colic or fussy babies.

RELATED TOPICS: Learn what causes fevers and how to treat them and Coughs and Colds: When to take a young child to the doctor

What else is important to ask?

Is the pediatrician readily available for calls/messages both when the office is open and when it is closed?

Not everything happens with your newborn between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. What happens when you need your pediatrician outside of those times? Who answers the phone? Is it a phone tree/voicemail? Who responds to your calls after hours and on weekends? Is there an automatic referral to the urgent care or emergency room? Is there an option for telemedicine services with your pediatrician?

When you call ActiveKIdMD during or after regular hours, you are greeted by a human voice (often one who has been with us for many years). We try to respond to urgent messages with either a call back within hours or a scheduled office/telemedicine visit.

When the office is closed, Dr. Koutures or Dr. Sharma take calls for most awake hours, and there is back-up from pediatric specialty on-call nurses from Children’s Hospital of Orange County when needed. We offer telemedicine services both during and after regular hours. This has helped many families reduce the need for urgent care or emergency room visits.

We also offer email access and try to reply within 24-48 hours for non-urgent matters.

We always ask that our patients contact us first with any issues before turning to urgent care or emergency rooms.

RELATED TOPIC: Telemedicine services offered by ActiveKIdMD

Can I schedule a same-day appointment with a familiar face for my sick newborn, or if I have concerns about my newborn?

Yes. Being a first-time parent can be challenging. When you call with concern, we can try and make things easier by offering a same-day appointment with your trusted pediatric provider – either in office or via telemedicine if that works better. We keep appointment slots for same-day appointments and do our best to be creative when sick children need to be seen, thus reducing that need for urgent care or emergency room visits.

Do we need to fit the car seat in our cars before the baby arrives?

Yes, take the time to fit the car seat (and bases) in all your cars several weeks before the baby arrives. No matter how many DIY videos you watch on car seat installation, there always seems to be some challenge when getting into the back seat to put seats and bases into proper places. Again, it is much less stressful to do this without a sleeping or crying infant right beside you. For extra help, remember that the American Automobile Association (Triple A for members) and many local police departments will assist with car seat placements.

Doing this ahead of birth will get you more ready for the first office visit.

When will the pediatrician see my baby for the first office visit?

Be prepared to see us for the first office visit 3-5 days after your baby is born (and expect to have your baby to have a lower weight than at birth).

That first visit is important to check how the baby is feeding and the baby’s weight. Newborns tend to lose weight right after birth (breast and/or formula fed). That first visit will help determine if too much weight has been lost. We’ll ask how things are at home and then have a talk about the color YELLOW.

Okay, so why is the color YELLOW so important for newborns?

Babies are born with extra red cells that get broken down over the first few days of life. These extra cells get processed by the liver and change from red to YELLOW. The skin of a newborn can turn YELLOW until these breakdown products are eliminated from the body by having YELLOW poop.

YELLOW poop is good and usually starts around 3-4 days of life. YELLOW on the skin can be okay to certain point (face is less of a worry and getting closer to belly button is not so good). This is why newborn diapers often have YELLOW tape tabs.

This is why the color YELLOW is important for newborns and that first in-office visit at 3-5 days of life with the new and trusted pediatrician is so important as well.

Putting in the time to ask questions and visit pediatric offices while you are in your last trimester of pregnancy will reduce the stress and enable you to choose the best doctor and practice for your baby. The time invested doing this is well worth it and you can be rest assured your child will be receiving the best care before he/she is born!