LVHN Updates Visitation Guidelines for Family Birth and Newborn Centers in Response to COVID Pandemic Policy Changes

LVHN has announced updates to their policies and visitation guidelines for their family birth and newborn centers.

Since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) has implemented policies and procedures to keep patients, colleagues and the community safe. 

LVHN has been updating these policies based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other professional societies.

Effective April 24, 2020 LVHN has made the following updates to their visitation guidelines for LVHN’s Family Birth and Newborn Centers:

• If you reside in or have recently traveled to New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, you may visit Family Health and Newborn Centers as long as you meet the same screening criteria required of all hospital visitors.
• If you have been quarantined at home due to suspected COVID-19, you will not be permitted to visit Family Birth and Newborn Centers until you meet the criteria to discontinue home quarantine. According to the CDC, you can stop quarantining at home at least seven days from the start of your symptoms AND after at least 72 hours without fever, coughing or shortness of breath.
• In addition to our previously established screening criteria, if you are under home quarantine for international travel or interstate travel from New York or New Jersey, you will not be permitted to visit Family Birth and Newborn Centers.

The following Family Birth and Newborn Centers visitation restrictions remain in effect:

TRIAGE - To reduce personal protective equipment (PPE) consumption during the short time of this encounter in rooms with close proximity, no visitation will be permitted in the Triage Area. Unless delivery appears imminent, anyone who accompanies patients to the hospital will be asked to wait in their car (not waiting room) or leave the campus and return for pickup if patient is discharged. One support person will be permitted to accompany the patient if she is admitted for delivery.

PERINATAL/ANTEPARTUM UNITS - Visitation on Perinatal Units (PNU) is not permitted, except under unusual circumstances that should be approved by unit leadership. Examples might include high chance of emergent delivery, fetal demise, postpartum care on PNU due to overflow or for a medical indication.

LABOR & DELIVERY/MOTHER-BABY UNIT - All patients who present to our units will continue to receive appropriate medical and obstetrical care. Visitation will still be permitted on Labor & Delivery and Mother-Baby Units with the following guidance:

• Completion of health screening procedures will be performed for all visitors before entering the unit.
• Visitors who have a confirmed or presumed diagnosis of COVID-19 and have not yet met criteria for discontinuation of home quarantine will be prohibited from entering the Family Birth & Newborn Centers. According to CDC, home isolation can be discontinued after at least 7 days from symptom onset AND at least 72 hours without fever, cough, or shortness of breath.

Additionally, visitors failing to meet the following criteria will be prohibited from entering Family Birth and Newborn Centers:

• COVID-19 testing pending
• High-risk exposure to someone with confirmed COVID-19 (<6 feet for >2minutes) within last 14 days
• Symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath)
• Under 14-day home quarantine for international travel or interstate travel from NY or NJ

Patients and visitors will undergo daily monitoring during the stay in the hospital – temperature and assessment of symptoms.

Visitors will bring their own mask (a clean, dry, freshly laundered cloth mask is acceptable) to be worn at all times in the hospital.

One consistent person should remain through the entire stay – if they leave the hospital, they may not return.

Visitors will remain in the patient room for the entirety of the stay except to visit newborn admitted to NICU; meals can be provided for visitors by patient food services.

If the mother is a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient and separation with newborn is performed as recommended by CDC, the visitor cannot move between mother’s isolation room and newborn isolation room/nursery. Ideally visitor for mother in L&D becomes the newborn visitor and no longer visits the mother; a new visitor for mother is not advised. If the mother and newborn are co-located in one room, then the visitor stays in the room with both of them, primarily to provide newborn care.

Visitors who do not or cannot adhere to these rules will be asked to leave the premises for the protection of a high-risk population. Another visitor will not be allowed to replace him/her.

OPERATING ROOM - Visitors will not be permitted in the operating room in the event of a cesarean section due to the risk of viral exposure. The visitor or support person is welcome to remain just outside of the operating room where the baby will be received after delivery.

Patients will also be required to wear masks, preferably their own brought from home, including freshly washed cloth masks. If they do not bring a mask, one will be provided to them. While staff at LVHN are using universal PPE, we recognize that contamination of physical surfaces can occur by asymptomatic patients and visitors which is prompting the requirement of masking of these persons as well.

For expectant parents looking for COVID updates, we’ve launched LVHN.org/motherhoodpartners, a resource housing answers to frequently asked questions, educational resources and information specific to pregnancy during COVID-19.