Prenatal Risk
Screening
The Healthy Start Prenatal Risk
Screening is a short questionnaire that will help find if there is anything
about your health, current living arrangements, or everyday activities that
could cause problems for you or your baby before and after birth.
You complete it with your health
care provider or a Healthy Start case manager in a private setting. The
answers to the questionnaire will be kept confidential. They will only be
used to help provide you the best possible care.
After the completion of the
questionnaire points are given to those items (for example: marital status,
previous pregnancies and age), that could affect how your baby grows and
develops.
Based on your score and discussion
with your health care provider, you can decide whether you would like the
extra help of the Healthy Start Program. The program is completely
voluntary. You will not lose any current services if you decide not to
participate.
If you decide to join the Healthy
Start Program a Care Coordinator will contact you to explain the results of
the screening and answer your questions. They will follow you through out
the pregnancy in order to provide support and link you to needed services.
Infant
(Postnatal) Risk Screening
The Healthy Start Infant Risk
Screening is completed for every newborn in the state. It is also a short
questionnaire designed to identify anything that could affect your baby’s
growth and development during the first years of life.
Once again, the answers to these
questions are strictly confidential and the program is completely voluntary.
If you decide to have your baby participate in Healthy Start then a care
coordinator will contact you to explain the results of the screening and
answer any questions.
She will talk with you about any special needs you or your baby might have
and help you to find services in your area. She will also give you the name
and number of a person you can call if you have any questions or need help
in the future.
