WPBN: Sarith Restrepo’s experience and the kind of assistance she received at the delivery of her second kid, Leonardo, were very different from those she had experienced during the delivery of her first child.
Restrepo is a participant in the Family Bridge program through the state. The purpose of this is to provide any necessary support and to make the transition from the hospital to the family’s home as smooth as possible. The home health aide who was assigned to her made visits to her.
“They go when we need them and give us types of help that we don’t know about when they [the babies] are really small,” Restrepo stated.
Beginning in October 2023, the program was designed to provide assistance to families of newborns who were delivered at Bridgeport Hospital.
New parents are provided with free in-home visits by a trained nurse who not only provides them with information on how to properly bathe, feed, sleep, and protect their children, but also examines both the moms and their infants.
“I had a case where I had headaches, and it wasn’t anything serious, but they insisted that I had to go to the hospital so they could do exams. They discovered that a month after having the baby, I had post-preeclampsia,” Restrepo stated.
It was determined that Restrepo was suffering from postpartum preeclampsia, a syndrome that is extremely uncommon and is found in moms who have high blood pressure. During her three-day stay at the hospital, she received medical care.
“It was difficult because the baby stayed at home, and I had to go to the hospital,” she stated.
She stated that the at-home nurse was responsible for the finding to be made. She performed a blood pressure check on Restrepo and insisted that she go to the hospital, where the medical professionals found out about the issue.
Amy Torres rears her children on her own. Torres was provided with assistance in locating secure housing for both her and her newborn daughter, in addition to the resources that were made available to her through the program.
“I learned about the program through the hospital. Then I met Rosie. She taught me about the things about the help they provide,” Torres stated. “This program has been very important because it has helped me a lot.”
A meeting was held between Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut and both families to discuss their experiences with the state pilot program. It is Lamont’s hope that this idea will be implemented over the entirety of the state.
“One of these two kids was the one-thousandth baby that we’ve been able to do this home visit on. It’s a reminder that I think of how important it is to make sure these kids and these families get off to the very best start,” Lamont stated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Treasury, and preschool development grants totaling three million dollars are the sources of funding for the program. In addition, families who have given birth at either Bridgeport or St. Vincent’s Hospital are eligible to receive it.
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